San Jose Sharks (20-47-10, 50 pts) at Minnesota Wild (42-29-7, 91 pts)
Venue: Xcel Energy Center
Date: Wednesday, April 9
Time: 8:00 pm EST / 7:00 pm CST / 5:00 PST
TV: ESPN+ / NBCS / FDSN / FDSW
Radio:
San Jose Sharks – Sharks Audio Network
Minnesota Wild- KFAN 100.3 FM
DraftKings Sportsbook Betting Lines:
San Jose Sharks +1.5 ML +250
Minnesota Wild -1.5 ML -300
O/U 5.5
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San Jose Sharks News & Notes:
San Jose has lost six in a row and has the fewest points in the NHL. The Sharks will try to play spoiler tonight in Minnesota as the Wild try to hold the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. San Jose is averaging a league-low 2.55 goals and is allowing a league-worst 3.74 goals per game. The Sharks hold the best odds for the number 1 pick in the upcoming NHL Draft with Defenseman Matthew Schaefer the consensus top pick.
Minnesota Wild News & Notes:
The Wild may be getting the best news at just the right time as Coach John Hynes said that they are hopeful that Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek will return tonight. Minnesota snapped a four-game losing streak with a much-needed 3-2 overtime win against the Stars on Sunday. This is the third and final meeting between these two clubs this season with the Wild winning both of the previous matchups by a combined score of 8-3.
San Jose Sharks Projected Lines:
Kovalenko-Celebrini-Smith
Eklund-Wennberg-Graf
Gregor-Dellandrea-Lund
Grundstrom-Ostapchuk-Goodrow
Ferraro-Liljegren
Carlsson-Thrun
Vlasic-Thompson
Romanov
Georgiev
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Minnesota Wild Projected Lines:
Foligno-Rossi-Boldy
Johansson-Gaudreau-Zuccarello
Nyquist-Hartman-Hinostroza
Trenin-Shore-Brazeau
Brodin-Faber
Chisholm-Spurgeon
Merrill-Bogosian
Fleury
Gustavsson
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Players To Watch:
San Jose Sharks
Macklin Celebrini leads the Sharks in scoring with 57 points (21g, 36a) in 65 games. Celebrini will finish in the top three of the Calder Trophy voting. Will Smith will get votes for the Calder as well, which goes to the league’s best rookie. Smith, the Lexington, Massachusetts native, has come on in the second half of the season as he adjusted to the NHL game. After just 13 points before January 1, the 20-year-old forward has 27 points since the calendar turned.
Minnesota Wild
If Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek return tonight, how will they look? You would expect some rust with both players missing significant time, but the lift for the team can’t be quantified. Matthew Boldy leads the Wild with 67 points (26g, 41a) in 78 games and factored in all three goals in the Wild’s huge win over the Stars this past weekend. Marco Rossi had the overtime game-winner and an assist in the victory. Rossi is coming into his own for the Wild after setting career highs in goals (24), assists (34), and points (58) this season. In two games against the Sharks this season, Boldy and Rossi have combined for four goals and two assists.
Injury Report:
San Jose Sharks
D Jan Rutta – IR
D Vincent Desharnais – OUT
W Tyler Toffoli – Day To Day
D Shakir Mukhamadullin – OUT
C Logan Couture – LTIR
Minnesota Wild
LW Kirill Kaprizov – Game Time Decision
C Joel Eriksson Ek – Game Time Decision
D Jacob Middleton – Day To Day
Next Game:
San Jose Sharks – April 11 at Edmonton Oilers
Minnesota Wild – April 11 at Calgary Flames
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