Today the Wild host their border rivals to the North, the Winnipeg Jets in a post Thanksgiving matinee. This will be the second meeting of the season for the Central Division foes with the Wild taking the first game in overtime, 6-5 back on October 19th.

That was another one of the Wild's comeback victories as the team's traded three goals each through the first two periods before the Jets jumped out to a two goal third period lead. Marcus Foligno got the Wild within a goal with a powetplay goal and Joel Eriksson Ek scored with Cam Talbot pulled for the extra attacker.

JEE completed his hattrick with a powerplay tally in overtime.

Winnipeg is in the midst of a six game road trip having lost the first four games (0-3-1). They enter today's game third in the Central and trailong the Division leading Wild by three points.

There is never any need for extra juice when these two teams get together but with Winnipeg's recent skid combined with the bitter taste left in their mouth after their last meeting. That should amp up today's atmosphere when the trams hit the Xcel Energy ice today.

Jared Spurgeon will once again be out of the lineup with a lower body injury. Jordie Benn has dressed in each of the last two games in Spurgeon's absence, however he is not ideally the solution for the third defense pair.

The Wild penalty kill has been getting progressively better but more importantly with their more aggressive defensive zone approach it has led to some offensive opportunities while the team has been down a man. They cashed in with a shorthanded goal, their first of the season on Wednesday, when Freddie Gaudreau patiently waited and made the perfect pass across to Nico Sturm who made no mistake beating MacKenzie Blackwood and giving the Wild a two goal lead at the time.

New Jersey may have deserved a better fate than their shootout loss as they outplayed the Wild for long stretches and if not for the strong play of Cam Talbot and possibly more important the goal posts , the outcome could very well have been very different.

Today the Wild will need to be better from the get-go if they plan on extending their Division lead. The last time the Wild returned from an extended road trip they came out flat against San Jose in their 4-1 loss to the Sharks. Dean Evason downplayed the letdown factor after that Sharks game,, so expect him to remind his team very sternly heading into today's game.

It's always Hockey Day in The State of Hockey!

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