Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NHL match.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have become much more likely to stumble, which is why they are on the verge of dropping out of the wild-card zone entirely. The Minnesota Wild, conversely, are on the verge of reaching it in their conference. Although three-quarters of the regular season are still ahead, both teams fundamentally need these points.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins were pushed out of the top three in the Metropolitan Division by the New York Islanders, who have picked up excellent pace. The tempo of the team, on the other hand, has slowed down (4-3-3). Numerous injuries, albeit to secondary players, have still taken their toll. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin carried the team almost on their own, but even they have entered a slump: both have scored only four points in the five most recent matches. Participation in the NHL Global Series in Stockholm also had an effect. Since 9 November, the Penguins have played only two matches away from the continent, both against the Nashville Predators (1:2 OT, 4:0).
Minnesota Wild
During the same period, the Minnesota Wild played four home games. On the ice in Saint Paul, they won three times, and only the San Jose Sharks beat them in overtime (1:2 OT). Most of their victories were by narrow margins: they earned a shutout against the Anaheim Ducks (2:0) – Jesper Wallstedt recorded the shutout – and then won in overtime against the Vegas Golden Knights (3:2 OT). Only the match against the Carolina Hurricanes went over the under 6.5 total — 4:3 SO. Beating the Metropolitan Division leaders is still an impressive result.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Minnesota Wild Prediction
The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Minnesota Wild have already faced each other this season (2025/26). At the end of October, they won away (4:1). Two of the three head-to-head matches before that also ended with similarly low scores, so it makes sense to back the under.
