LAS VEGAS − Jon Merrill will make his series debut tonight at T-Mobile Arena, with the Wild tabbing the veteran defenseman to replace Zeev Buium on the third pairing.

The Wild and Vegas play in Game 5 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoffs best-of-seven series, with faceoff around 8:40 p.m. CST.

Merrill hasn't played since the regular-season finale two weeks earlier on April 15. He was scratched for Games 1-4 while Buium teamed with Zach Bogosian on the Wild blue line.

"It's always heartbreaking to come out the lineup," Merrill said. "It's upsetting, but I'm just really excited to be back in tonight and help this team get a win."

The Wild will have one other change, as winger Marcus Johansson will return after a lower-body injury sidelined him for Game 4 when Vegas evened the best-of-seven 2-2 with a 4-3 overtime win.

Coach John Hynes also confirmed center Joel Eriksson Ek is good to go after Eriksson Ek didn't practice Monday due to maintenance.

In Game 5, the Wild are 5-9 all-time and all five of those victories have come on the road.

"It's important we play to win and not to lose," Merrill said. "Go after them. Stay aggressive. It's been the difference in the series is our aggressiveness on the forecheck. We'll come out swinging tonight."