Can the Minnesota Wild Turn the Tide at Nationwide Arena?

As the Minnesota Wild gear up for their next challenge against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena, fans are keen to understand what to expect from this matchup. The Wild have been on a rocky path in their recent games, showing a mix of resilience and areas needing improvement.

In their last game against Tampa Bay Lightning, despite a strong physical presence with 23 hits and blocking 12 shots, they fell short with only one goal on 23 shots. Their shooting percentage was just four percent, indicating a struggle in converting opportunities into points. However, they did dominate faceoffs with a win percentage of fifty-seven percent.

Against Calgary Flames, the trend continued where they managed to net only once from 29 shots – translating into a three percent shooting success rate. While powerplay opportunities were plentiful with three chances, none were capitalized upon which is an area that needs attention before facing Columbus.

The game against Winnipeg Jets showed some promise as they scored twice from 26 shots and won sixty-two percent of faceoffs. Yet again though, it wasn't enough for victory as they narrowly lost by one point.

These statistics highlight that while Minnesota has been strong defensively and in faceoff scenarios, there's an urgent need for them to sharpen their offense – particularly on powerplays where conversion rates have been low.

As we look ahead to the upcoming game scheduled for January 7th at Nationwide Arena – home advantage for Columbus – it will be crucial for Minnesota Wild to leverage their strengths while addressing weaknesses seen in past performances. Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+ nationally or BSN channels locally starting at midnight GMT (7 PM Eastern Time).