Sabres at Wild
The Minnesota Wild have lost six consecutive games in regulation for the first time in franchise history but hope to end the slide against the league's worst road team when they host the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday. The Wild are 5-12-1 in their last 18 games and questions continue to swirl around the status of coach Mike Yeo. Minnesota's Jason Pominville said a switch behind the bench "is not going to change anything. We have to dig deep and find a way to get ourselves out of this."
The league-worst Sabres have gone nearly two months since their last win on the road - a 5-4 shootout victory at Anaheim on Nov. 5. - and are 0-8-2 in their last 10 away from home, including Tuesday's 3-0 defeat in Winnipeg. Still, Buffalo is showing signs of turning the corner with points in seven of its last 10 overall games under coach Ted Nolan. "There’s lots of room for improvement, but we’re moving in the right direction,” center Tyler Ennis said. "We’re looking forward to a really good 2014.”
TV: 8 p.m. ET, MSG (Buffalo), FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE SABRES (11-25-4): Ryan Miller got his 2014 off to a memorable start as he was named to the United States Olympic Team on Wednesday. Miller is 4-0-1 in his last five games and coming off a superb 49-save performance against Washington on Sunday that helped him earn the league's Second Star of the Week honor. Cody Hodgson (thumb/wrist), who has missed the last five games, was placed on injured reserve Wednesday and the Sabres recalled forward Johan Larsson and defenseman Brayden McNabb from Rochester of the American Hockey League.
ABOUT THE WILD (20-17-5): Yeo addressed the speculation surrounding his future with his players at practice on Wednesday before deciding to shake up the lineup, shuffling all four of his lines in an effort to provide a spark for the team. "We’re throwing a lot of stuff at the wall and we need something to stick," said Yeo, who elevated Dany Heatley and Pominville to the top unit along with captain Mikko Koivu. Defenseman Ryan Suter has points in nine of 10 games and has scored in his last two following a 50-game drought.
OVERTIME
1. Suter and injured F Zach Parise (foot) were also named to the U.S. Olympic team.
2. Buffalo has only one regulation win away from home this season - at Florida on Oct. 25.
3. The Wild have not lost seven straight since an 0-5-2 skid in February 2012.