Anaheim Ducks (2-3) vs. Minnesota Wild (3-0)
October 23, 2021 6:00 pm EDT
The Line: Minnesota Wild -270 / Anaheim Ducks +212; Over/Under: -5.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Anaheim Ducks and the Minnesota Wild meet in NHL action from the Xcel Energy Center on Saturday.
The Anaheim Ducks will try to bounce back from a 5-1 beatdown loss to the Winnipeg Jets last time out. Troy Terry opened the scoring just 2:46 into the game for the Ducks, but it was all downhill from there as Winnipeg would tie the game at one just 1:24 later and would take a 2-1 lead just over a minute into the second period. The Jets would push ahead 3-1 just 1:30 into the 3rd before adding an empty net goal with under three minutes to go and adding a 5th for good measure just 1:35 later. John Gibson took the loss in goal for the Ducks after allowing 4 goals on 26 shots faced in the losing effort.
The Minnesota Wild will be out to build on their 3-0 start after a 6-5 overtime win over the same Winnipeg Jets last time out. Winnipeg opened the scoring just 3:48 into the game but Mats Zuccarello answered for the Wild just :53 later. Winnipeg answered in kind to make it 2-1 just 3:36 after that but Joel Eriksson Ek would once again tie the game at two for Minnesota with just over a minute to go in the first. Winnipeg once again took the lead early in the second, but like clockwork, Minnesota tied it at three thanks to Mats Zuccarello’s second goal of the game. Winnipeg thought they were home free, scoring back-to-back goals 2:18 apart early in the 3rd, but Marcus Foligno would cut the deficit to 5-4 with just under five minutes to go and Eriksson Ek would tie it up at five with less than a minute to play. It was off to overtime after that where Eriksson Ek would complete his hat trick to give the Wild their first and only lead of the game but it was the only one that mattered. Cam Talbot got the win to improve to 3-0 on the year after stopping 25 of 30 shots faced in the winning effort.
Anaheim is 1-4 in their last 5 road games and 16-38 in their last 54 games overall while over is 4-0 in their last 4 Saturday games. Minnesota is 5-1 in their last 6 games overall and 21-6 in their last 27 home games while the over is 7-0 in their last 7 games as a home favorite.
I’m starting to wonder when the other shoe is going to drop for Anaheim, as this pace can’t keep up. On the other hand I’m still not sure what to make of Minnesota right now either. I’m going to side with the under here as This has been a low-scoring matchup historically and I think history repeats itself in a battle here.
