The Minnesota Wild are getting set to finish out a five-game road trip on Tuesday when they head to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets. Minnesota is coming off a big win over the Anaheim Ducks that snapped a two-game losing streak on Sunday. It was a big win because the Wild have been so inconsistent this season, and after dropping games to tough San Jose and Los Angeles squads, they needed to hold against other Western Conference competition like the Ducks.
Now, they'd like to launch a six-game homestand the right way by coming into it with two-straight wins, including the Tuesday tilt against Columbus. Minnesota got things started early in their 3-2 win in Anaheim, with Matt Cullen and Jared Suprgeon lighting the lamp in the first period, just under three and a half minutes apart, and Kyle Brodziak gave them the third goal they needed to put the game out of reach. Goaltender Niklas Backstrom made 32 saves on the night, and Minnesota successfully avenged an earlier loss, when Anaheim beat Minnesota 3-2 at home on Oct. 27.
For the Blue Jackets, they're just looking to turn this three-game homestand into a winning affair, dropping the first game against Chicago on Thursday, before beating Winnipeg in a close one on Saturday. The Jets fell 2-1 in that game, with 19-year old rookie Ryan Johansen scoring both goals and likely earning his way into more playing time. The team is just 3-12-1 on the season and struggling each time out, so Johansen's play is rather critical when it comes to morale and the future of the team.
This is the second of four meetings between the two teams this season, and the first away for the Wild. The game is set for Tuesday, Nov. 15 and will be on at 7:00 p.m. ET.