Can Minnesota Wild Tame the Tampa Bay Lightning at Xcel Energy Center?

As the Minnesota Wild prepare to face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning, fans are eager to see if their team can harness the momentum from their recent games. The upcoming clash is set for January 5th at the Xcel Energy Center, a venue known for its electrifying atmosphere that often plays a pivotal role in boosting the home team's performance.

The Wild have shown resilience in their past performances, despite facing tough competition. In their last game against Calgary Flames, they fought hard but ultimately fell short with a final score of 3-1. The statistics reveal that while they managed to put up 29 shots on goal and blocked 11 attempts from Calgary, it was not enough to secure victory. Their powerplay opportunities did not translate into goals as they would have hoped.

Prior to this setback, Minnesota faced Winnipeg Jets in a closely contested match where they were narrowly defeated with a scoreline of 3-2. This game saw them capitalize on one out of three powerplay chances and win an impressive 62 percent of faceoffs – showcasing strong special teams play and puck possession skills.

However, it was during an away game against these same Jets where Minnesota struggled significantly; despite scoring two goals and taking more shots (36), they conceded four goals and lost by a margin of two points.

Looking ahead to their encounter with Tampa Bay Lightning, fans can expect Minnesota Wild to focus on converting powerplay opportunities while maintaining strong defensive play. They will need to leverage their home advantage at Xcel Energy Center effectively if they wish to overcome the challenge posed by Tampa Bay.

The upcoming game is scheduled for January 5th at 01:00 AM (UTC) at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+ nationally or tune into BSN locally on channel 668 for coverage tailored specifically for them.