Preview: Bruins vs. Wild again, this time in Minnesota

Minnesota Wild v Boston Bruins
Photo by China Wong/NHLI via Getty Images

Again?!

(Editor’s note: The stats, facts, figures, takes, etc. below are from prior to Friday night’s Bruins-Jets game. Gotta get these previews up while I can.)

Just the facts

When: Tonight, 7 PM

Where: Xcel Energy Center – Minneapolis, MN

How to follow: NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Opposing perspective: Hockey Wilderness

Know your enemy

  • 14-13-4, 32PTS, 7th in the Central Division
  • Kirill Kaprizov: 11G-19A-30PTS; Mats Zuccarello: 6G-22A-28PTS; Joel Eriksson Ek: 14G-8A-22PTS
  • Filip Gustavsson: 9-8-2, 2.90 GAA, .904 save percentage

Game notes

  • No rest for the weary! Fresh off of last night’s game in Winnipeg, the Bruins head slightly south to take on the Wild in Minnesota.
  • In a reverse of the last time these two teams met, it’s the Bruins who are playing in the second game of a back-to-back while the home-team Wild are rested. BIZARRO WORLD.
  • I have no data to back this up, but does anyone else feel like the Western Conference games are all bunched up this year? It seems like the B’s have played the same Western team twice in a week multiple times, but maybe I’m just losing my mind.
  • Minnesota has won two games in a row, both over Atlantic teams, and both by 4-3 scores. Patterns, etc.
  • Overall, Minnesota has won five of their last six games, with three of those five wins coming in overtime or the shootout.
  • Filip Gustavsson, who started the Wild’s win over Montreal on Thursday night, is 7-2-0 in his last nine starts. Marc-Andre Fleury was incredible in Minnesota’s win at TD Garden, but I’d assume we’ll see Gustavsson.

See ya tonight!

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