The Wild Warmup is presented by Bryant Heating and Cooling
ST. PAUL -- Following a three-game road trip that saw the Wild nab three of six points, Minnesota returns home to open a five-game homestand on Black Friday afternoon when it faces the Winnipeg Jets at Xcel Energy Center.
Following a pair of 5-4 losses in Florida, including a shootout defeat in Tampa, the Wild secured a 3-2 shootout win in New Jersey on Wednesday night.
The victory halted the club's losing streak at two games and kept alive a remarkable streak: in 87 games as the Wild's head coach, Dean Evason has not seen his team lose three consecutive games.
Evason credited his club with an ability to avoid dwelling on the past, both good and bad.
"We don't care what happened, right? We don't care that we lost last game. We don't care that we won last game. Doesn't matter to us. We just go forward," Evason said. "I think that's the mentality of our organization right from the top with Billy [Guerin]. It filters down to all of us."
Minnesota will put that theory to the test again on Friday when it faces Winnipeg for the second time this season. The first came in the Wild's home opener on Oct. 19, and featured one of the most memorable comebacks in recent memory.
The Jets led by a pair of goals late into the third period before Minnesota halved the lead on a goal by Marcus Foligno. An apparent goal by Mark Scheifele looked to push the lead back to two goals with 1:14 left in regulation, but an offsides challenge by the Wild revealed Kyle Connor was a few inches over the blue line when the puck crossed, erasing the goal.
Just 15 seconds later, Joel Eriksson Ek tied the game with his second goal, and he'd eventually finish off his first career hat trick with the game-winning goal 3:30 into overtime.
That comeback spirit has been a theme for the Wild this season, as Minnesota has made a habit of rallying late in games. The club's seven 6-on-5 goals is two more than any other NHL team this season.
The victory for the Wild continued a strong stretch against the Jets in St. Paul; Minnesota is 8-2-0 in its past 10 at Xcel Energy Center.
Winnipeg will have the services of Plymouth native and former Golden Gopher Blake Wheeler, who did not play in the first matchup between the clubs because of COVID-19. Wheeler has 16 points in 18 career games at Xcel Energy Center, but is still looking for his first goal of the season through 14 games.
The Jets could also have Paul Stastny back in the lineup. He's missed the past two weeks because of a lower-body injury. He practiced with the team Thursday in St. Paul and is a game-time decision.
Since a 5-2 win in Edmonton a week and a half ago, offense has been at a premium for the Jets. Winnipeg has scored a total of just four goals during a four-game winless streak that has seen the Jets drop three consecutive games in regulation. That includes a 3-0 loss to Columbus on Wednesday that started a three-game road trip, one that concludes Saturday night in Calgary.
Connor, who scored two goals in the first meeting between the clubs, leads the Jets offensive attack with 12 goals and 22 points. Pierre-Luc Dubois has 10 goals and 16 points.
Connor Hellebuyck has started 14 of the Jets' 19 games this season, posting a 6-4-4 record to go with a 2.54 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage.
