The Minnesota Wild are set to face the Florida Panthers on Hockey Day Minnesota at 8:00 p.m. The team aims to extend their strong record on the occasion with several players returning from injury.
The Minnesota Wild will host the Florida Panthers tonight at 8:00 p.m. CT, broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network and KFAN FM 100.3, as part of Hockey Day Minnesota festivities. The Wild hold an all-time record of 14-4-1 on this special day, with outdoor events at the United Heroes League complex in Hastings, Minnesota. Inside the arena, they seek another victory following a 4-3 overtime win against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.
This game marks the Wild's final 25th Anniversary Celebration night, honoring former players Marc-Andre Fleury, Alex Goligoski, and Eric Staal. Fans with special tickets will receive a Kirill Kaprizov bobblehead; Kaprizov has recorded 15 points (5 goals, 10 assists) in every game he's played against Florida.
The Wild are nearing full strength. Forward Matt Boldy returns after missing four games with a lower-body injury, where he ranked tied for third in the NHL with 27 goals, tied for seventh in shorthanded goals with two, 10th in shots with 157, and tied for 17th in points with 51 (27-24). Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Johansson both returned Thursday from their injuries, though Zach Bogosian and Jonas Brodin remain sidelined with lower-body issues.
Goaltender Filip Gustavsson starts after securing his 100th NHL win against Detroit. Against Florida, he has a 3-2-1 record, 2.34 goals-against average, .928 save percentage, one shutout, and victories in his last three starts. Over his past 13 outings, Gustavsson is 10-1-2 with a 2.38 GAA, .911 SV%, and one shutout.
For the Panthers, Sergei Bobrovsky (19-14-1, 3.09 GAA, .875 SV%, three shutouts) starts after two losses, conceding 13 goals, including a 9-1 defeat to Carolina on January 16. Florida enters 4-2-0 in their last six games, fresh off a 2-1 shootout win over Winnipeg on Thursday.
Key players to watch include Kaprizov (2 goals, 8 assists in recent form) and Mats Zuccarello (3 goals, 5 assists), both on four-game point streaks.
