Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NHL match.
The New York Rangers return from their California road swing with three points out of a possible six — a modest haul, especially after suffering three consecutive losses at home just prior. The Minnesota Wild are in a similarly precarious spot, clinging to a playoff berth largely thanks to the struggles of their direct rivals rather than their own consistency.
New York Rangers
The Rangers have turned to their youth system in search of a spark. Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault have been promoted to the top-six in a bid to reignite the Rangers’ stuttering offence. In truth, they endured a dismal March at 5-on-5, generating just 2.23 xG per hour — a mark better only than three teams, including the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild don’t fare much better. In fact, they sit just one rung above the Rangers by the same metric, and they’re even less efficient when it comes to finishing. The Wild managed a paltry 18 goals at even strength across 15 games last month. There’s hope on the horizon in the form of Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek, both edging closer to returns, but their impact remains speculative at best. Notably, Kaprizov — despite featuring in only 37 of the team’s 75 games — still ranks second in goals scored for the Wild this season.
New York Rangers vs Minnesota Wild Prediction
With both clubs sputtering at 5-on-5, the focus turns to special teams. But expecting six goals purely through power-play production feels ambitious. In their last head-to-head matchup on March 14th, there were four goals scored, including two power-play goals from the Wild – they couldn’t manage more than that. Given Igor Shesterkin and Filip Gustavsson are among the top performers in their respective creases, goals will be at a premium once again.
