Bruins at Wild
THE STORY: With the Minnesota Wild taking on water and about to sink completely out of contention in the Western Conference, could a visit from the reigning Stanley Cup champions be just what they need to slow their rapid descent? Given the recent form of Minnesota, which has lost seven straight games heading into Sunday's home matchup with the Boston Bruins, the obvious answer would seem to be no. But the Wild have dominated Boston, holding a 9-1-1 all-time edge in the series.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, NBC, NHLCA
ABOUT THE BRUINS (35-19-2): Nearly unbeatable for a two-month stretch, Boston hasn’t won back-to-back games in more than a month. The Bruins are 3-5-0 in February and have been shut out three times in that span. The loss of RW Rich Peverley for 4-to-6 weeks with a sprained MCL is forcing the team to shuffle their lines. The goaltending has also been shaky. Tuukka Rask has lost five straight and Tim Thomas has yielded at least three goals in six of his last eight appearances.
ABOUT THE WILD (25-24-9): Minnesota was a collective no-show for Saturday’s 4-0 loss in St. Louis. The Wild managed only 13 shots on goal – three in each of the final two periods – as they lost for the 22nd time in 27 games. Minnesota has scored only nine goals during the seven-game skid and has been limited to one goal or fewer in six of its last eight. The Wild have also lost five straight (0-4-1) on their home ice.
OVERTIME:
1. Wild C Warren Peters has a hearing with the league office Sunday. He received a game misconduct Saturday for cross-checking St. Louis’ David Backes in the head.
2. Boston has notched two of its three wins this month in a shootout, and Tyler Seguin has converted in both.
3. Minnesota has been outscored 23-9 during the seven-game losing streak.