WILD GAMEDAY

vs. Carolina Hurricanes, Xcel Energy Center, 7 p.m. Tuesday

TV; radio: BSNX; 100.3 FM

Stats and analytics: Tap here.

Pregame reading: Kaprizov-Zuccarello connection is stronger than ever

Sarah McLellan's preview:

Opening bell: Two key Central Division showdowns on the road headline the Wild's week. But to go into games at Nashville and St. Louis with momentum, the Wild (28-24-6) will need to take care of business against the Hurricanes. Carolina (34-18-6) is entrenched in a playoff spot, but the Hurricanes have dropped two in a row after winning four consecutive. They also lost to the Wild earlier this season on home ice.

Watch him: LW Kirill Kaprizov was crowned the NHL's First Star of the Week, and rightfully so. Kaprizov's six goals and 12 points over the Wild's past four games were tops in the league, and his impact has been timely. In the Wild's past three victories, Kaprizov factored in two game-winning goals. His hat trick last Monday vs. Vancouver was his second of the season. Which team did he score his first against? The Wild's next opponent, the Hurricanes.

Injuries: Wild D Zach Bogosian (upper body), LW Marcus Foligno (lower body), RW Pat Maroon (back) and D Jared Spurgeon (hip/back). Hurricanes G Frederik Andersen (blood clotting), D Jalen Chatfield (upper body) and G Antti Raanta (lower body).

Forecast: To pick up another win against the Hurricanes, the Wild should follow their game plan from their 5-2 victory on Jan. 21. They were outshot by a wide margin (42-19), but they were opportunistic with their chances and not all of Carolina's shots were dangerous. Still, G Filip Gustavsson was sharp in fending off most of the pressure. If they remember what worked vs. the Hurricanes and continue to get goals from their best players and power play, the Wild easily could sweep the season series and return to the road for two rivalry matchups on a roll.

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