Wild to host McDavid and the Oilers

Published

Edmonton Oilers (18-11-4, first in the Pacific Division) vs. Minnesota Wild (14-12-5, sixth in the Central Division)

St. Paul, Minnesota; Thursday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Connor McDavid leads Edmonton into a matchup against Minnesota. He's first in the league with 55 points, scoring 19 goals and recording 36 assists.

The Wild are 7-8-2 against conference opponents. Minnesota is eighth in the league shooting 10.2% and averaging 2.9 goals on 28.6 shots per game.

The Oilers are 8-3-1 against opponents from the Pacific Division. Edmonton ranks sixth in the league shooting 10.3% and averaging 3.0 goals on 28.7 shots per game.

Minnesota took down Edmonton 3-0 in the last meeting between these teams on Oct. 22. Eric Staal scored two goals for the Wild in the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Zach Parise leads the Wild with 12 goals and has totaled 18 points. Jason Zucker has five goals and two assists over the last 10 games for Minnesota.

McDavid leads the Oilers with 19 goals and has recorded 55 points. Leon Draisaitl has three goals and seven assists over the last 10 games for Edmonton.

LAST 10 GAMES: Oilers: 4-5-1, averaging 2.3 goals, four assists, 3.6 penalties and 9.9 penalty minutes while allowing 3.6 goals per game with a .888 save percentage.

Wild: 6-1-3, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.4 assists, 3.3 penalties and 6.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game with a .916 save percentage.

INJURIES: Wild: None listed.

Oilers: Brandon Manning: out (undisclosed), Mike Smith: day to day (lower body), Zack Kassian: day to day (lower body).