Wild set to face Philadelphia Flyers, starting a three-game road trip
WILD GAMEDAY
vs. Philadelphia at Wells Fargo Center: 6:30 p.m. Thursday
TV; radio: ESPN+/Hulu; 100.3 FM
Stats and analytics: Tap here.
For the fans: This is the start of a three-game road trip for the Wild and the first of 13 nationally televised games for the team.
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Sarah McLellan's preview:
Opening bell: Fresh off a 7-4 comeback win against Edmonton on Tuesday, the Wild will have their depth tested again. Frederick Gaudreau is hurt and did not travel to Philadelphia. After moving captain Jared Spurgeon to long-term injured reserve to create more cap space, the Wild recalled F Jujhar Khaira from Iowa in the American Hockey League. Spurgeon, who was injured in the preseason and has yet to debut, will be sidelined at least the next four games before he's eligible to return.
Watch him: C Ryan Hartman is coming off his first career hat trick with the Wild, but he wasn't just finishing plays against the Oilers; Hartman also was helping set them up, picking up two assists to become the first NHLer this season to post a five-point game. His seven points overall trail only Wild forwards Joel Eriksson Ek, Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, who are tied for the team lead with nine apiece.
Injuries: Wild RW Matt Boldy (upper body), RW Gaudreau (upper body), D Alex Goligoski (lower body) and D Spurgeon (upper body); Flyers D Rasmus Ristolainen (undisclosed) and D Marc Staal (upper body).
Forecast: Yes, Philadelphia (3-2-1) has missed the playoffs each of the past three seasons, but the Flyers are off to a competitive start. They shut out the upstart Canucks, cruised by the Oilers and fell to the Stars in overtime before another one-goal loss to the defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights. But this game might be more telling for the Wild (3-2-1): Will they finally string together two quality performances and build some momentum? The timing couldn't be better for that to happen, with this the beginning of three games in four days.
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