The Minnesota Wild will take on the Anaheim Ducks in the NHL’s European Game of the Week on Saturday [3 November], with both teams vying for position in the Western Conference.
The Wild are currently fourth in the Central Division, four points behind the Colorado Avalanche, and find themselves in an intense battle with the Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, and Calgary Flames for a wildcard ticket to the postseason. The Ducks, by contrast, sit bottom of the Pacific Division and are one of the favourites to win the tank race for superstar-elect Connor Bedard.
There are plenty of reasons to tune into the contest, not least because it is live on Viaplay Extra – formerly FreeSports – from 19:00 for viewers in the UK and Ireland.
Minnesota Wild versus Anaheim Ducks: Preview
The Ducks travel to Minnesota with one objective: to end their four-game losing streak. They are 2-10-2 on the road this season and lead the league in penalty minutes per game (13.1). Anaheim have three players on the injury-list. Defencemen Jamie Drysdale and John Moore are long-term concerns, while centreman Isac Lundestrom is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
The Wild, by contrast, own a 6-6-1 record at home and are heavy favourites for the visit of the Ducks. Minnesota also have three players unavailable due to injury: Jonas Brodin, Brandon Duhaime, and Ryan Hartman.
Kirill Kaprizov leads the way for the Minnesota Wild
Kirill Kaprizov is one of the best players in the sport. Period.
Since he switched from the Kontinental Hockey League in 2020, the Russian has recorded a ridiculous 189 points (88 goals, 101 assists) in 158 appearances for the Wild.
Kaprizov is also on a serious hot-streak. The former fifth-round pick has scored 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in his last five games and leads the Wild in all offensive metrics as a result.
Kirill Kaprizov, now of the Minnesota Wild (Image: Андрей Чудаев)
“When you start winning, when the team starts winning, your game comes easier, you play better and you score more,” he explained after he posted three points versus the Oilers. “Everything starts working well when you do that [and] that’s kind of what’s happening right now.”
Kaprizov is also well-respected by his peers.
“He’s got no weaknesses,” said Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.
“He does everything well,” added Colorado Avalanche centreman Nathan MacKinnon.
Still only 25, Kaprizov is an elite skater with a lethal shot and the stickhandling skills to match. He will devastate the Ducks if they afford him too much space or time on the puck in the offensive zone.
Trevor Zegras is the player to watch for the Anaheim Ducks
EA Sports picked Trevor Zegras to join Sarah Nurse on the cover of NHL23 for a reason: he is one of the most skilful and exciting forwards in hockey. The former ninth-overall pick has recorded 94 points (34 goals, 60 assists) in his first 123 appearances for the Ducks – a remarkable haul for a 20-year-old on a rebuilding team.
“We all know he’s a dynamic player,” Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins explained. “This kid can do anything with the puck: his vision on the ice is incredible. The thing that’s getting lost with him right now is he’s quietly getting much better at things that are important to winning games. A lot of these games in this league come down to one moment – that could be a skating pick that gets you out of your zone, getting to the net or a fast reload where you disrupt an odd-man rush. We’re seeing him make really good strides in those areas.”
While the American has improved across the board lately, his infamy is based on moments of individual excellence. Zegras is a master of The Michigan and has the potential to become a franchise player in Anaheim.
While the New York-born forward has already cultivated an impressive set of highlight reel moments, the most creative move of his career was an assist to Sonny Milano last season. It is simply absurd:
Still wondering how Zegras and Milano pulled this off 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ybBQi8V4E5
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) July 27, 2022
Zegras have four points in his last five appearances: watch out, Minnesota.
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