Panthers Look To Hand Wild Fourth Straight Loss
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
SAINT PAUL, Minn. (SportsDirect Inc.) -- The Minnesota Wild looked as though they were surging toward a playoff position in the Western Conference a week ago after winning four in a row.
The Wild have dropped three straight games since – the last two by a goal – but will try to change the trend Sunday afternoon, when they host the Atlantic Division-leading Florida Panthers, who acquired three veteran players on Saturday.
Minnesota is four points behind Colorado for the second wild-card spot in the West with Monday's trade deadline fast approaching.
The Wild could get a boost if Zach Parise (upper body) can return against the Panthers, who added Teddy Purcell, Jiri Hudler and defenseman Jakub Kindl in three separate deals. The trio likely won't be available until at least Tuesday in Winnipeg, but Florida general manager Dale Tallon added experience and power-play help for the stretch drive.
The Panthers have earned points in five consecutive contests (3-0-2) after a 4-3 shootout loss at Columbus on Saturday that began a five-game road trip.
TV: 3 p.m. ET, FSN Florida, FSN Wisconsin, FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (35-18-8): Purcell and Hudler will help a power play that has scored in three straight games but is 3-for-31 over the last nine games. Aleksander Barkov has scored three goals in two contests since returning to the lineup while linemate Jonathan Huberdeau (concussion) has missed the last two games and is out indefinitely. Jaromir Jagr has recorded five points in four games to push his season total to a team-high 45 and career amount to 1,847, leaving him three shy of Gordie Howe for third place on the all-time list.
ABOUT THE WILD (27-25-10): The biggest problem for Minnesota over the last three games has been its penalty-killing unit, which has allowed four goals in five opportunities and ranked 27th in the league through Friday (77.1 percent). "We've got to do a better job and we've got to get that save when we need it there," interim coach John Torchetti told reporters after Friday's 3-2 loss to Washington. Parise, who has recorded 36 points – seven fewer than captain Mikko Koivu for the team lead – practiced Saturday and is expected to play against Florida.
OVERTIME
1. Minnesota LW Thomas Vanek is warming up with three goals and a pair of assists in his last five games.
2. Florida G Al Montoya beat the Wild 2-1 on Jan. 3 with 39 saves and could get another start against them as Roberto Luongo played Saturday.
3. The Wild placed LW Chris Porter on waivers and assigned C Jordan Schroeder to Iowa of the American Hockey League on Saturday.
(© Copyright 2016 SportsDirect Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
