Minnesota Wild News

Minnesota will turn to Gustavsson in the crease on Friday as they can virtually cement a berth in the playoffs with a win over the Calgary Flames. Gustavsson was solid in his most recent outing, saving 23 of 25 shots (.920 SV%) in a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. The 26-year-old netminder has a solid 2.54 GAA and .915 SV% in 55 appearances this season (30-18-6). Minnesota enters Friday's contest as -116 road favorites against a Calgary team with points in four straight (2-0-2).

Stuart Skinner (upper body) returns from a multi-week absence on Friday but will serve as the backup to Pickard against the San Jose Sharks. The 32-year-old Pickard allowed three goals on 26 shots (.885 SV%) in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. He has a 2.65 GAA and .901 SV% in 34 games this season (21-9-1). The Oilers enter Friday's contest as significant -391 home favorites against a Sharks team they defeated 3-2 less than a week ago.

Kaprizov has not played since late January but recently returned to practice and is expected to draw back into the lineup on Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks. Before his injury, the 27-year-old Kaprizov had been outstanding offensively, scoring 52 points (23G / 29A) in 37 games.

Stuart Skinner (upper body) is nearing a return, but Pickard remains the go-to option between the pipes for the Oilers and will return to the crease on Wednesday against the St. Louis Blues. Pickard played well in his most recent outing, saving 26 of 28 shots (.929 SV%), but received no goal support in a 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. The 32-year-old Pickard has a 2.64 GAA and .902 SV% in 33 games this season (20-9-1). The Oilers enter Wednesday's contest as -138 home favorites against a Blues team whose 12-game winning streak snapped on Monday in a 3-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.

Eriksson Ek has not played since February 22nd but recently returned to practice and is expected to draw back into the lineup on Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks. The 28-year-old Eriksson Ek scored 24 points (9G / 15A) in 42 games this season, a significant decline from his 60+ point campaigns over his previous two seasons.

Kaprizov has not played since late January but recently returned to practice and is expected to draw back into the lineup on Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks. Before his injury, the 27-year-old Kaprizov had been outstanding offensively, scoring 52 points (23G / 29A) in 37 games.

Sturm has not played the past few games for the Panthers, battling an undisclosed ailment, but he could return to the lineup on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings. He has 14 points (7G / 7A) in 58 games this season.

Pickard was solid in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks, saving 27 of 29 shots (.931 SV%), and will return to the crease on Saturday in a divisional matchup against the Los Angeles Kings. The 32-year-old Pickard has a 2.66 GAA and .901 SV% in 32 games this season (20-8-1).

Minnesota has salvaged a point in two straight losses (0-0-2), keeping them in control of a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. They will turn to Gustavsson between the pipes on Friday against the New York Islanders, looking to build on his 2.54 GAA and .915 SV% through 53 games this season (29-17-6). The 26-year-old Gustavsson has a 3.88 GAA and .880 SV% in his last three games (0-1-2). The Wild enter Friday's contest as +109 road underdogs against an Islanders team amid a six-game losing skid (0-4-2).

Nick DeSimone will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings, allowing Maatta to re-enter the lineup. The 30-year-old Maatta is averaging 19:42 time-on-ice and has 15 points (2G / 13A) in 70 games this season.

Sturm exited Tuesday's game against the Montreal Canadiens early in the first period after only 0:34 time-on-ice due to an upper-body injury. The 29-year-old Sturm is averaging 10:06 time-on-ice and has 14 points (7G / 7A) in 58 games this season. Tomas Nosek will draw into Florida's lineup a Strum's replacement.

Eriksson Ek has not played since February 22nd but recently returned to practice in a non-contact jersey and is expected to return to the lineup before the end of the season. The 28-year-old Eriksson Ek scored 24 points (9G / 15A) in 42 games this season, a significant decline from his 60+ point campaigns over his previous two seasons.

Kaprizov has not played since late January but recently returned to practice in a non-contact jersey and is expected to return to the lineup before the end of the regular season. Before his injury, the 27-year-old Kaprizov had been outstanding offensively, scoring 52 points (23G / 29A) in 37 games.

The Oilers are riding a two-game winning streak and will roll with Pickard between the pipes for a fourth consecutive game when they face the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. Pickard was solid in his most recent game, saving 20 of 22 shots (.909 SV%) in a 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. The 32-year-old Pickard has a 2.69 GAA and .899 SV% in 31 appearances this season (19-8-1).

Minnesota has lost four of their last five (1-3-1) and will turn to Gustavsson between the pipes on Wednesday as they hang on to the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Despite a 3-2 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils, Gustavsson played well in his most recent outing, saving 26 of 28 shots (.929 SV%). The 26-year-old netminder had a dazzling 1.98 GAA and .930 SV% through 13 games in March (7-4-2). Minnesota enters Wednesday's contest as +143 road underdogs against a Rangers team coming off a 6-1 win over the San Jose Sharks.