Minnesota Wild (7-6-2)
vs.
Edmonton Oilers (6-6-3)
Rexall Place 8:30 pm cst
TV: Fox Sports North / Fox Sports Wisc
Radio: KFAN 100.3 FM
Its been a few days Wilderness, but your Wild are back in action tonight in the worst city in the world, Edmonton. In honor of all the stat heads in Edmonton, I've decided to crunch a few numbers for you this evening in this pre-game/period 1 thread.
The Minnesota Wild, all time versus the Oilers are 30-0 when they score more goals than the Oilers. This includes the Wild's stellar 8-0 overtime record when they score first or more in the shootout. These stats alone would make any "real" hockey fan in Edmonton shake in their maple syrup lined boots and get their corsi boiling.
Minnesota's top line is riding a 2 game point streak and rookie phenom who's leaving something called Hall (who for reasons unknown people in Edmonton seem to love like their mothers) in the dust is riding a 3 game assist streak into tonight's contest. Tonight promises to be a physical game, as some of these kids have not to fond memories of a few AHL games against the Barrons while the NHL was locked out. The Wild's line combos tonight are still a mystery although it does appear Pierre-Marc Bouchard will return to the lineup while Niklas Backstrom will be the wall between the pipes.
Your scratches for tonight:
Minnesota Wild: Johan Larsson, Justin Falk and Zenon Konopka
Edmonton Oilers: Ben Eager, Corey Potter, Ryan Whitney
5 Questions:
- Can Granlund keep his point streak alive?
- Will the top line get back to their early season ways against a young, inexperienced Oilers team?
- Which Pierre-Marc Bouchard will show up tonight?
- Jonas Brodin > Justin Schultz?
- Do all the stats listed on Copper & Blue's game thread matter at all?