Wild Game Day number 28
Wild Record (15-10-2 32 pts)
Road Record (7-6-0)

Opponent: Calgary Flames (17-9-2 36 pts)
Home Record (8-3-2)

Site: Scotia Bank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta

Time: 9:00PM CT

TV: Fox Sports North (FSN)

Last Season Results:
10/21 Wild 4 @ Flames 2
12/12 Flames 1 @ Wild 2(SO)
1/9/18 Flames 3 @ Wild 2(OT)

Tonight the Wild get their first look at the sizzling Calgary Flames offense that is coming off a 9 goal performance in Columbus Tuesday night. The first place Flames have won three in a row and 7 of 9 heading into tonight's tilt.

Calgary has been a thorn in the Wild's side the last few seasons winning five of the past seven the teams have played. The big additions in the offseason of Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin coming over from Carolina, along with free agent signee James Neal from Vegas have changed the face of the Flames lineup.

There is a lot more balance to the scoring in Calgary, as they are no longer the Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan show. No offense to Matthew Tkachuk or Sam Bennett, but the Flames typically went how Guadreau and Monahan dictated.

Now the Flames have multiple lines that produce and can carry the team on their own. The Flames defense has been very good for a long time, with a unit that is very mobile and active in the transition game.

The Wild will certainly have their hands full tonight if they expect to make it two wins in a row on this quick three game road trip through Western Canada.

Tuesday's Wild victory was not a masterpiece by any stretch, The special teams stepped up as the powerplay went three for three and the penalty kill was perfect as well.

Vancouver had two leads in the game and it took a quick strike powerplay goal on the Wild two-man advantage todraw the game even. Combined with a Jason Zucker powerplay goal on the back half of the back to back Canucks penalties, that gave the Wild the eventual game winner.

The last few weeks for the Wild have let their discipline slide along with their attention to detail. That has been slowly coming back over the last two games, but will be put to the test big time tonight against the high flying Flames.

I still believe that Paul Fenton is going to make moves to alter this Wild roster, and given his track record,there is no fear in pulling off a blockbuster type trade. We know that the Wild were in on Nylander, but that ship has sailed with his signing. To be honest a Nylander for Dumba deal was not at all in the best interest of the Wild.

Wild projected lines:
Zucker-Staal-Granlund
Parise-Koivu-Coyle
Niederreiter-Eriksson Ek-Greenway
Foligno-Fehr-Brown

Suter-Dumba
Brodin-Spurgeon
Seeler-Pateryn

Stalock
Dubnyk

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

Follow me on Twitter @dwallace17

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