Since we last scrapped with the Minnesota Wild…
IN: Tom Gilbert, Steven Kampfer
OUT: Nick Schulz, Greg Zanon (via trade), Brad Staubitz (waiver claim); Mikko Koivu (undisclosed injury), Clayton Stoner (hip), Mike Lundin (hernia), Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Guillaume Latendresse (concussions).
Possible Wild Lineup per Hockey Wilderness:
Setoguchi–Brodziak–Heatley
Clutterbuck–Cullen–Palmieri
Johnson–Christensen-Powe
Veilleux–Peters–Ortmeyer
Scandella–Spurgeon
Gilbert–Falk
Foster–Prosser
Backstrom
Kings lineup: Bernier is scheduled to start, and they may actually give him the nod this time if they aren’t completely determined to run Quick into the ground. (Come on, Sutter.) Clifford and Drewiske are scratched.
Minnesota is coming off a hard-hitting win over their rivals and favorite trade partners for life, the San Jose Sharks. The Kings will have yet another bruising, physical match-up on their hands tonight. The effort and desire has clearly been there, now they need to settle down a bit to kick some ass.
Slava Voynov has been settling into his top four role, which, as I’ve noted before, is not entirely new to him. Even in the midst of a nail-biting playoff race, it’s just fun to watch this kid. Pure go go go.