Detroit Red Wings GameDay: @ Minnesota

Tonight is the second of four games between these two teams this season. The Wings won the first meeting, 5-0 on December 7th, on Dominik Hasek’s shutout and Henrik Zetterberg’s hat trick. The remaining two games will be played January 10th and February 5th.

The puck drops at 8:00 ET tonight. 

The 20-12-2 Wild are 5-1-0 since losing to the Wings, with their only loss during that stretch coming in San Jose. Since that loss to the Sharks, they have won four straight, including games against Anaheim, LA, Nashville, and New York (Rangers).

The win over New York on Thursday was remarkable, in that Marian Gaborik became the first player in nearly 11 years to score five goals in a game.

Tonight is the last of a three-game homestand for the Wild.

Gaborik leads the Wild in goals and overall points with 18 and 33. He and Brian Rolston are the only Minnesota players who have scored 10 or more goals this season.

It looks like Minnesota will be without Todd Fedoruk (shoulder), Petteri Nummelin (head), Derek Boogaard (back), and Mikko Koivu (fibula).

Josh Harding has started the last four games for the Wild, but may sit tonight in favor of Niklas Backstrom.

For the Wild perspective, see The State of Hockey News, Wild Puck Banter, Casual Hockey, Puck Wild, In the State of Hockey, and Land of Lakes and Hockey. Theresa Ferries of The State of Hockey News has her preview posted already.

The Wings are 5-1-1 since their win over the Wild earlier this month. They are coming off their first regulation loss since Thanksgiving, a 3-2 decision in St. Louis on Thursday. The game came the night after a 6-2 win over LA and was the first of a five-game road trip.

Valtteri Filppula has scored five goals in his last seven, including two on penalty shots, and Henrik Zetterberg has scored seven in his last nine. Mikael Samuelsson, who had been the coldest of the Wings’ offensive forwards, broke a 13-game goalless streak with one Thursday night.

The Wings will be without Kirk Maltby (back) and Tomas Holmstrom (knee). It is also possible that they may be without another forward, as the media was told an unnamed player came out of St. Louis banged up. If that player is unable to go, Mark Hartigan should get the call-up.

In any case, Aaron Downey will return to the lineup after sitting out the last two. Chris Chelios also will return to the lineup after having Thursday night off. Derek Meech will sit as a result.

If the Wings stick to their rotation policy, Dominik Hasek should be the starter tonight.

For more from the Wings’ perspective, see  Snapshots, Abel to Yzerman, HockeyTownTodd, Behind the Jersey, No Pun Intended, Red Wings Nation, yzerman is god, Detroit Hockey, and Winging It In Motown.

The Wild will be looking to exact revenge for the embarrassment they suffered in their last meeting with the Wings. They’ll be looking to protect their 7-0 record on Saturdays and to attempt to justify being named the new "Hockeytown USA—as though one win over the team from the real Hockeytown would mean the title gets transferred.

So, you can expect that they’ll be playing what Jacque Lemaire erroneously calls "hockey" to the best of their ability. We can only hope the Wings can beat through the wall of bodies and make things more entertaining than...um, well...watching a team trap.

I would love to see the Wild put back in their place, as they were on the 7th.

(via On the Wings)