After getting a victory in their season opener on Saturday night over the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Minnesota Wild will spend the better part of the 2011-12 NHL season's first full week on the road, as two of their three games will take them away from the XCel Energy Center and to the East Coast.
The action will start on Monday afternoon, as the Wild will head to Long Island. . .or, if you're a local, Lon Guyland. . .to take on the New York Islanders. The Wild only played the Islanders once last season, a 4-1 road loss. The Islanders currently sit at 0-1 on the young season, as they dropped their opener to the Florida Panthers at the Nassau Coliseum on Saturday night by a score of 2-0. This is a holiday matinee, as the puck will drop at noon Central time, and you can catch the game on Fox Sports North and Fox Sports Wisconsin.
Minnesota will continue their road trip on Tuesday night as they cross the northern border to take on the Ottawa Senators. The Wild and Senators squared off just once in 2010-11, with the result being a 3-1 loss for the Wild at the XCel Energy Center. This game will be the home opener for the Senators, who have lost on the road to the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs to start the 2011-12 season. Start time for this one is scheduled for 6:30 PM Central time, and can also be seen on both Fox Sports North and Fox Sports Wisconsin.
The Wild will then return to St. Paul for a couple of games, starting on Thursday night for a clash with the Edmonton Oilers. The Wild dominated the Oilers last season, winning all four of the head-to-head match-ups between the two teams. As of now, the Oilers are 1-0 on the season, having defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in their opener on Sunday by a score of 2-1. Start time for this one is scheduled for 7:00 PM Central time, and will also be available on both Fox Sports North and Fox Sports Wisconsin.
The week will end on Saturday with a game at the XCel Energy Center against the Detroit Red Wings. Minnesota didn't have much luck with the Red Wings last season, winning only once in four games against Detroit. The Red Wings are 2-0 so far this season, with a home win over Ottawa and a road victory over the Colorado Avalanche to their credit thus far this season. This one will also get underway at 7:00 PM Central time, and will be shown on Fox Sports North.
If you are not near a television and would like to listen to the game on the radio, you can find your closest Wild Radio Network affiliate right here.