The Minnesota Wild know that time is running short with 22 games left in the regular season.
The Wild also know that they are playing shorthanded without several prominent players, including top scorer Kirill Kaprizov and steady veteran Joel Eriksson Ek.
“We have no choice,” forward Mats Zuccarello said. “We’re missing some really important guys on our team, but that’s the reality of it. We have to find a way in here.”
Minnesota will try to snap a three-game losing streak when it faces off against the Boston Bruins on Sunday afternoon in Saint Paul, Minn. The Wild are looking for their first win since Feb. 22.
Meanwhile, Boston will be looking for its second win in as many days. The Bruins are coming off a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on the road Saturday afternoon.
David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist in the win. He will bring a 17-game point streak into Sunday’s matchup against the Wild.
“We’re confident,” Pastrnak said. “(I’m) making plays, hanging on to the puck when I have to.”
The Bruins are waiting to learn more about the status of team captain Brad Marchand, who left the game on Saturday because of an upper-body injury after he was hit hard into the boards.
Boston coach Joe Sacco said the team should know more about Marchand by Sunday.
“Overall, I thought the guys responded very well,” Sacco said about the hit that injured Marchand.
The Wild will play for the first time since acquiring forward Gustav Nyquist from the Nashville Predators on Saturday. The team is hopeful that Nyquist will be available to join his new teammates for the game with the Bruins.
Nyquist, 35, had 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 57 games with Nashville this season. He racked up 75 points a season ago with the Predators.
This will be Nyquist’s second stint with Minnesota. He appeared in three regular-season games with the team in 2022-23 before notching five points in six playoff games.
Boston likely will turn to Jeremy Swayman in net one day after Joonas Korpisalo handled goaltending duties against Pittsburgh. Swayman is 18-19-6 with a 3.00 goals-against average and .897 save percentage in 43 games.
The Wild likely will counter with Filip Gustavsson, who is 22-13-3 with a 2.68 GAA and .912 save percentage in 39 games. Veteran backup Marc-Andre Fleury gave up six goals in his most recent performance against the Utah Hockey Club last week.
Minnesota coach John Hynes said he was confident in the Wild’s ability to play well down the stretch.
“Our team has risen to the challenge all year long,” Hynes said. “We’ve had some setbacks along the way, and as always, I think you take the lessons out of it. I think we’ve been taught some pretty good lessons.
“We know the details that you’ve got to play with. We’ve got to make sure on Sunday we have those details along with the effort and competitiveness that’s required to win an NHL game.”
–Field Level Media
