Getting back to basics: Lightning at Wild preview

Game Fifty-Nine: Tampa Bay Lightning (38-16-4) at Minnesota Wild (35-16-10)

Time: 9:30 PM EST

Location: Grand Casino Arena, St. Paul Minnesota – Home of Charles Schultz

TV/Stream/Radio: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max, 102.5 FM, Lightning App (audio only)

Odds: Lightning -142

Know the Opponents: Hockey Wilderness

Coach Jon Cooper was as critical of his team after their uninspired loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday as he’s ever been,

“No push back, no urgency, no drive, no attention to detail. We just gave up a decently skilled team so much open ice. I’m surprised they didn’t have 10. I’m really disappointed with our compete level.”

In short, it was the exact opposite of what we’ve seen from them for the majority of the season. Buffalo was the better team and dictated the pace of play. Look, it’s an 82-game season. After playing as well as any team could possibly play, the Bolts were due for a clunker. Saturday’s game was it. The important part will be to keep it at one game (well, one-and-a-half if one counts the first half of the Carolina game).

For the Lightning, that means getting back to being strong in their own zone. Clean breakouts, coverage in front of the net, and forwards helping the defense by not flying the zone early. If they can get back to that style of play, they will be okay against a tough Minnesota team.

They will be integrating another player into the line-up as Conor Geekie was recalled from Syracuse in the wake of the injuries to Gage Goncalves and Dominic James, who Coach Cooper acknowledged might be out for a few games at the very least.

Geekie and his teammates will be challenged with winning in a building where they haven’t had a ton of success over the years. Since the NHL returned to the State of Hockey, the Lightning are 3-13-02 against the Wild. In 2024 they did snap a 10-game winless streak that dated back to the 2011 season, but dropped their lone appearance in Minnesota last year, 5-3. Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of only three Lightning netminders to pick up a victory on the road against the Wild. The other two – Marc Denis and Dwayne Roloson.

The Lightning and the Wild have had similar paths this season. Both franchises started slowly, then went on red-hot winning streaks up until the Olympic Break. Both have stumbled a bit out of the post-Olympic gate with 1-2 records. The good news is that both teams are still well within a playoff pace.

Minnesota’s rapid ascent to the top was aided by the acquisition of defenseman Quinn Hughes. In 29 games with the Wild, Hughes has racked up 3 goals and 33 assists (!) while averaging a measly 25:54 of ice time. The Wild, who struggled to put the puck in the net to begin the season, have scored 110 goals since picking him up, tied with the Sabres for the most over that time frame.

As one might assume, the power play, which was already fairly decent, has been dynamite, clicking at a robust 31.1%. Lost somewhat in the Hughes Hype is the fact that Kirill Kaprizov is healthy and back to putting up big numbers. He has 34 goals and 40 assists, with 15 of those goals coming on the power play. Teammate, and occasional linemate, Matt Boldy, is at 35 goals.

Minnesota has added some depth to their scoring attack with Vlad Tarasenko finding the back of the net 15 times. Joel Eriksson Ek, who has battled injuries, has 17 goals. Much like the Lightning, injuries have been a big part of the Wild’s season as various players like Eriksson Ek have been in and out of the line-up all year long. They are currently without the services of Jonas Brodin and their captain, Marcus Foligno.

It’s not going to be easy for the Bolts, and a win might not be in the cards tonight. More important than the two points is getting back to the way they played during their winning streak. Process over outcome. The loss to Buffalo should serve as a wake-up call, the Lightning just need to answer it.

Potential Lines

Tampa Bay Lightning

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Minnesota Wild

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