Tip: Minnesota Wild in an attempt to save what can be saved when the New York Islanders come to visit

Minnesota Wild has certainly not had an enjoyable season. Initially, it looked dreadful with a leaking defense and an offense that couldn't get going. However, after a weak start, things started to brighten for the Wild, who managed to win ten of their fifteen games in December. Since then, the new year has not gone according to plan, and once again the defense looks shaky and the offense ineffective. Recently, the team comes from a 6-0 loss against the Arizona Coyotes, yet I sense a turnaround in the air!

Injuries Have Wrecked a Lot

Not much has gone right for the Minnesota Wild in recent weeks. The offense looks incredibly pale, and the defense has been even worse. Contributing to Wild's groping in the dark, despite the injuries the team has suffered in recent weeks, Minnesota Wild's most important offensive player, Kirill Kaprizov, was back against Arizona after missing eight games. Filip Gustavsson was activated from IR (Injury Reserve) last Saturday, and Mats Zuccarello returned to the lineup after missing nine games. The injury list is not empty in Minnesota Wild, Jared Spurgeon is still out, but Jonas Brodin, who has been missing since December 8, practiced last week and is expected to be ready for his comeback soon. In other words, Wild is soon as close to full strength again as they can hope. Injuries to all these key players have of course contributed to the decline since the end of December. We should also not forget that many of the matches they have had were against very qualified opponents, Dallas Stars (x2), Winnipeg Jets (x2), and Tampa Bay Lightnings, to name a few. This does not excuse the results for the fans, but the combination of injuries and tough matches is hardly advantageous. Therefore, I do not want to write off Minnesota Wild based solely on poor form, although I am also critical of how it has sometimes looked on the ice.

New York Islanders Not Without Their Own Problems

Without reviewing the New York Islanders season too thoroughly, I think we have gotten exactly what is to be expected, a team that is on the cusp of missing the playoffs or managing to grab a wild card spot. What has surprised me a bit is that the Islanders' defense looks a little shakier than before. They allow relatively many chances backward, putting pressure on Sorokin or Varlamov to maintain the high minimum level they both have. Especially Sorokin, we know is capable of winning games for the Islanders on his own, even if he does not have as good a season as last season.

The Islanders come to the game after a 3-1 loss against Nashville last time. The Minnesota match is their second consecutive away game in a series of four matches on the road. Ryan Pulock, Robert Bortuzzo, Semyon Varlamov, and Casey Cizikas continue to be out.

Betting Tips and Conclusion

Minnesota has gone through a very tough period and to ensure the season is not completely over, they need to start stringing victories together. I am skeptical that they will make the playoffs, but I feel more comfortable stating that they can challenge the Islanders tonight. After many tough injuries, the outlook looks much better, and despite the poor form, the team has a core capability of high quality, as they showed last season with virtually the same squad. New York Islanders have their playing system, and we know what we will get, which in itself is not bad, but it still relies a lot on the goalkeepers holding up, and against a Minnesota Wild that has a lot to prove, I suspect Sorokin might have a lot to do.

My betting tip is Minnesota Wild ML @ -114 with FanDuel!