Coyotes at Wild
The Minnesota Wild unleashed a ton of frustration in snapping a six-game losing streak and look to earn back-to-back victories for the first time in nearly two months when they host the slumping Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night. The Wild posted the most lopsided victory in franchise history with a 7-0 mauling of Buffalo on Thursday. Devan Dubnyk, acquired from Arizona on Wednesday, earned the shutout and will get the nod Saturday against his former teammates.
The Coyotes have dropped three straight and four of their last five while continuing to plummet in the Western Conference, trailing all but last-place Edmonton. Arizona gave up three third-period goals in a 4-1 setback to Calgary on Thursday and now hit a brutal portion of the schedule, kicking off an eight-game road trip in Minnesota. "We didn't generate enough chances in the third period, and we gave up ones that came back to bite us," defenseman Michael Stone said.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE COYOTES (16-23-4): Arizona has scored only four times during its three-game skid, but Mikkel Boedker is on a tear with five tallies during a four-game goal-scoring streak to boost his team-high total to 14. "He's scoring from all over the place," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "He's shooting the puck. His legs are moving." One of the reasons the Coyotes dealt Dubnyk was to get starter Mike Smith going, but the veteran netminder has surrendered at least three goals eight times in his last nine starts.
ABOUT THE WILD (19-19-5): Seven different players scored in Thursday's romp over the hapless Sabres, a much-needed offensive eruption after Minnesota managed only 10 goals during the six-game losing streak. "We just needed a win," said forward Jason Pominville, who collected three assists against his former club to increase his team-leading point total to 36. "We just needed to find a way to win." Dubnyk, who will face the Coyotes four days after starting for them, admitted "it will be weird. ... I'm excited about it but it will certainly be different for me."
OVERTIME
1. Dubnyk's shutout was the first for the Wild since Oct. 23 - against Arizona.
2. Coyotes captain Shane Doan will sit out his second straight contest with a lower-body injury.
3. Wild D Ryan Suter will serve the second contest of a two-game suspension for elbowing Pittsburgh F Steve Downie in the head on Tuesday.