Lightning at Wild
THE STORY: The Minnesota Wild face their first bout of real adversity in the early part of the NHL season. Consecutive 5-2 home losses to Edmonton and Calgary have poked major holes in what had been one of the league's best defenses through the first 21 games of the campaign. Minnesota looks to bounce back as it concludes a six-game homestand Monday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Wild won the first three games but looked overmatched against the Oilers and Flames - particularly in the third period, when Minnesota was outscored 4-0 in those games. The Lightning have trended in the opposite direction from a defensive standpoint, allowing two goals in a home-and-home sweep of the rival Florida Panthers. The wins allowed the Lightning to move to within four points of the first-place Panthers in what has become a crowded Southeast Division.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Versus, TSN2
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (11-9-2): Tampa Bay was humiliated in a 7-1 home loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday, but coach Guy Boucher said his team wouldn't panic. True to his word, the Lightning looked composed and focused as they dominated at both ends of the ice. Staying competitive after falling behind has been an issue for Tampa Bay as the club has been outscored 23-7 in in its five losses so far this month.
ABOUT THE WILD (13-7-3): Subpar performances against the NHL's two Alberta clubs has dropped Minnesota out of the top spot in the Western Conference. Coach Mike Yeo struggled to find something positive in the two defeats. "The good news is I don’t think we can play worse than that," he told reporters after Sunday's loss to Calgary. "That’s something to fall back on." Minnesota remains one of toughest teams in the league at home, owning an 8-4-1 mark.
OVERTIME:
1. This is the first meeting between the clubs since April 2, when Tampa Bay skated to a 3-1 road win. The teams have split their last nine encounters.
2. Lightning sniper Steven Stamkos has a goal and three assists in five career games against Minnesota. The goal stands as the only shorthanded tally of his NHL career.
3. The Wild have yet to beat an Eastern Conference team, going 0-2-1.