Minnesota Wild Aims to Extend Dominant Record Against Canadiens

The Minnesota Wild enters Bell Centre tonight looking to extend a five-game road winning streak while facing a Montreal Canadiens team.

Minnesota holds a 19-2-0 record against the Canadiens dating back to December 2014, a mark that Stats Perform identifies as the best record any team has ever posted against Montreal over a 21-game span.

Minnesota is facing several injuries but remains highly competitive. The team has earned 28 points this season, a total that ranks second-most in the Western Conference and third-most in the entire NHL. Despite missing several key players, the Wild are outscoring opponents 21-7 over their last five games.

The roster is beginning to stabilize as reinforcements return to the lineup. Following the return of the Foligno brothers during Saturday’s game against Tampa Bay, the Wild expect defenseman Jared Spurgeon and forward Michael McCarron to rejoin the lineup tonight in Montreal. The team is still awaiting the return of defenseman Brock Faber and goaltender Filip Gustavsson, though Gustavsson has begun participating in team practices.

Saint paul mn michael pezzetta of the montreal canadiens defends kirill kaprizov of the

Kirill Kaprizov enters tonight’s contest with a point in eight consecutive games. He also maintains a historical advantage over the Montreal defense, having recorded at least two points in each of his last six games against the Canadiens. This represents the second-longest multi-point streak against Montreal in NHL history, trailing only Scott Gomez’s eight-game run from 2005 to 2007.

On the offensive side, Max Shabanov has found his rhythm recently. He has scored six goals over his last seven games, which includes a multi-goal performance against the Lightning. Shabanov has also been productive on the man advantage, scoring a power play goal in consecutive games and netting three power play goals in his last four outings.

Spurgeon, McCarron & Head Coach John Hynes | Minnesota Wild Pregame vs. Montreal | Nov. 10

While Minnesota has been dominant on the road, Montreal has maintained a respectable presence at home. The Canadiens are 5-2-2 in games played at Bell Centre this season, even though they are currently being outscored 30-34 in those contests.

Metric	Minnesota Wild (Last 5 Games)	Montreal Canadiens (At Bell Centre)
Record/Trend	5-game road win streak	5-2-2 home record
Defensive Trend	Held opponents to ≤ 2 goals	N/A

The historical tension between these two franchises is rooted in Minnesota’s ability to win games against the Canadiens. Prior to a loss on January 20, Minnesota had secured nine consecutive victories over the Canadiens. Last season, the two teams split their series, with each side winning exclusively in their home arena.