WILD vs. SAN JOSE SHARKS
7 p.m. Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul.
All-Time Wild Record: 29-32-7 (16-13-4 at Xcel Energy Center, 13-19-3 at San Jose)
2019-20: Minnesota went 1-2-0 in its three season meetings against San Jose…The Wild fell in the first season meeting, 6-5, at SAP Center at San Jose (11/7), suffered a 2-0 shutout loss in the second meeting at Xcel Energy Center (2/15) and earned a 3-2 victory in the third meeting in San Jose (3/5)…C Luke Kunin (1-2=3) and C Eric Staal (1-2=3) each led the Wild with three points…LW Kevin Fiala (0-2=2), RW Ryan Hartman (0-2=2), LW Zach Parise (1-1=2) and D Ryan Suter (1-1=2) tallied two points apiece…G Alex Stalock went 1-1-0 with a 3.03 GAA and a.905 SV% in three starts…G Devan Dubnyk earned the loss in the first meeting, stopping 17-of-19 shots in relief…C Logan Couture led the Sharks with four points (1-3=4)…D Brent Burns (0-3=3), C Tomas Hertl (1-2=3), RW Timo Meier (1-2=3) and LW Marcus Sorensen (1-2=3) had three points each…G Martin Jones went 2-1-0 with a 2.70 GAA, a .913 SV% and one shutout in three starts.
WILD LEADERS: Suter leads the Wild with 24 points (3-21=24) in 50 contests vs. the Sharks…Parise owns 22 points (10-12=22) in 27 games…C Nick Bonino has 17 points (6-11=17) in 28 matches…RW Mats Zuccarello owns 12 points (3-9=12) in 16 contests.
WILD GOALIES: G Cam Talbot is 5-7-2 with a 3.41 GAA and .884 SV% in 14 starts against San Jose…Stalock is 2-1-0 with a 2.97 GAA and a .907 SV% in four career starts…G Kaapo Kahkonen has not faced the Sharks.
SHARKS LEADERS: C Patrick Marleau leads San Jose with 43 points (24-19=43) in 65 games vs. the Wild…Couture owns 22 points (11-11=22) in 31 career contests…D Erik Karlsson has 20 points (5-15=20) in 15 matches…Burns owns 21 points (5-16=21) in 28 games…LW Evander Kane has 13 points (7-6=13) in 20 contests.
SHARKS GOALIES: Jones is 7-6-2 with a 2.48 GAA, a .911 SV% and four shutouts in 16 games (15 starts) against Minnesota…G Devan Dubnyk is 1-4-1 with a 2.87 GAA and .908 SV% in seven games (six starts).
CONNECTIONS: Minnesota General Manager Bill Guerin skated in 16 games with San Jose during the 2006-07 season…Wild Assistant Coach Dean Evason collected 57 points (23-34=57) and 231 PIM in 158 contests with the Sharks over two seasons (1991-93)…C Nick Bonino was drafted by San Jose in the sixth round (173rd overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft…Stalock was selected by the Sharks in the fourth round (112th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft…He went 24-19-7 with a 2.37 GAA, a .911 SV% and four shutouts in 62 games (46 starts) in five seasons (2010-16)…Burns was drafted by Minnesota in the first round (20th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and tallied 183 points (55-128=183) and 325 PIM in 453 games (2003-11) with the Wild…C Ryan Donato totaled 39 points (18-21=39) in 84 contests with Minnesota in two seasons (2018-20)…Dubnyk went 177-113-28 with a 2.41 GAA, a .918 SV% and 23 shutouts in 328 games (321 starts) with Minnesota in six seasons (2014-20).
FAST FACTS: Minnesota is 14-11-2 in its last 27 games vs. San Jose, including a six-game win streak (1/5/17-4/7/18)…Minnesota has won five of the last eight games played at SAP Center (5-3-0).
(info and photo courtesy of Wild)