Wild Carry a Busy Attack Into Washington's Friendly Barn
Central leaders meet a Capitals club that has won three straight and leans on Tuch and Strome at home.
Written before the game
Minnesota arrives in Washington as one of the West's steadiest teams, and the question is simple: does the Wild's knack for creating chances travel into a building where the Capitals have been hard to beat?
The Wild sit first in the Central at 9-3-3 with 21 points and a plus 12 goal difference. Over their last ten games they have generated far more than they allow, averaging 4.40 expected goals for -- a measure of how many goals their chances were worth -- against 2.86 conceded. They have also held their own away from home at 5-3-2.
Washington is 8-4-0, third in the Metropolitan, winners of three straight and 6-2-0 at home. Yet the chances have been closer to even lately, and the Capitals have faced more shot attempts than they have taken.
For Minnesota, it's about keeping the pressure on and getting Kirill Kaprizov and Quinn Hughes looks. For Washington, it's about Alex Tuch (10 goals) and Dylan Strome (nine assists) finishing what they get, and the home crowd doing the rest.
