Minnesota has been wild at home, winning six of their last eight games at Xcel Energy Center. Can they defend their house when the Philadelphia Flyers roll into town? The Flyers remain one of the Metropolitan Division’s bottom teams, but could unleash quite a storm when they get rolling. Read on for everything you need to know heading into this interesting clash.
Get more hockey action with our complete previews for the Leafs vs. Kings and Capitals vs. Islanders.
[sc:NHLArticles ]Philadelphia Flyers vs. Minnesota Wild Preview
Where: Xcel Energy Center, Minnesota
When: Thursday, January 7, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Philadelphia Flyers at Minnesota Wild – view all NHL lines
Betting on the Philadelphia Flyers (16-15-7)
The Flyers snapped a three-game losing streak, beating Montreal 4-3 on Tuesday night. Brayden Schenn led the way with a goal and two assists. Wayne Simmonds, Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Couturier also scored to lend some firepower to the Flyers.
[sc:NHL250 ]Tuesday night’s performance aside, the Flyers have struggled to light the lamp this season. They’re 29th in the league with just 2.2 goals per game. Their power play has also struggled, ranking just 25th in the league scoring on 16.8 percent with the man advantage. The Flyers have looked listless in their recent road games, dropping their last five with just 1.6 goals per game.
If the Flyers are to get over their hump on the road, then they’ll need their leaders Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek to get into the game. Giroux leads the Flyers with 12 goals and 29 points. Voracek has been the team’s main playmaker with 21 assists.
The duo could have a big game against Minnesota. Giroux has five points and a plus/minus of two against the Wild in eight career matchups; Voracek has 12 points and a plus/minus of three in 15 such matchups. Having both Giroux and Voracek dominating in this game could open up more opportunities for the rest of their teammates.
The Flyers also struggle when it comes to goaltending. Starter Steve Mason (7-10-5, 2.85 GAA) hasn’t made a case all-season long as Philadelphia’s No. 1 goalie. He’s lost three of his last four games and has allowed 3.5 goals per game over that span. Backup Michal Neuvrith (9-5-2, 2.12 GAA) has looked a bit better, going 3-2 in his last five games but has allowed 2.6 goals per game in those contests.
The total has gone under in four of the Flyers’ last six games at Minnesota.
Betting on the Minnesota Wild (21-11-7)
Zach Parise is unstoppable. He scored a hat trick in a dominant 4-2 road victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets to take a team-leading 14 goals. Parise isn’t just a scorer; he’s also a good playmaker with 11 helpers this season. Having a player like Parise is sure to help the Minnesota Wild unshackle their offense, especially against Philadelphia’s leaky defense.
The Wild have been firing on all cylinders at home, winning six of their last eight in Minnesota while scoring three goals per game. Parise should continue leading the way with seven points in his last eight home games. Nino Niederreiter has also been a strong playmaker at home with seven points in his last eight at Xcel Energy Center.
Having both Niederreiter and Parise contributing on offense should help the Wild mask Mikko Koivu’s absence. Koivu leads the Wild with 32 points and 22 assists but suffered an undisclosed injury in Tuesday’s road game against the Blue Jackets. While Koivu avoided any serious injuries, he’s still considered day-to-day and may miss this matchup against the Flyers.
Even without Koivu, the Wild still have plenty of playmakers to exploit a vulnerable Flyers defense. Ryan Suter is tied with Koivu with a team-high 22 helpers. Thomas Vanek has also been solid with 26 points this season, while Mikael Granlund could be a solid replacement for Koivu. Granlund has 20 assists skating with Minnesota’s second line.
The Wild’s offense won’t have too much pressure to score plenty of goals, especially not with a solid goaltender in Devan Dubnyk (17-11-3, 2.28 GAA). Dubnyk has been stellar recently, allowing just 1.8 goals per game in his last five outings.
The Wild have won five of their last eight games against Eastern Conference opponents.
Writer’s Prediction
Minnesota blows out the Flyers. Create a betting account now and get busy with thrilling hockey action.
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