Panthers (13-12-4 30P) vs Wild (15-8-4 34P)
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- WHEN: 8:00 p.m. ET – LBC GameThread right here at 7:30ish
- WHERE: Xcel Energy Center – Saint Paul, MN
- ON THE TUBE: FOX Sports Florida, FOX Sports North, FOX Sports Wisconsin
- ON THE DIAL: 560 WQAM, 640 WMEN
- SOCIALS: #FlaPanthers, #MNWild, #FLAvsMIN, @LitterBoxCats, LBC FaceBook
- ENEMY INTEL: Hockey Wilderness
- SB NATION: Game Feature Hub
- FLA IN SEASON SERIES: Game 1 of 2 (0-0)
- ALL-TIME vs MIN Wild (RS): 5W-11L-1T 1OTL 1SOL 31GF 54GA
- ALL-TIME at MIN Wild (RS): 1W-6L-1T 1OTL 0SOL 12GF 27GA
- LAST FIVE vs MIN Wild (RS): 1-4-0 7GF 13GA
- LAST MEETING: Host MIN 3, FLA 1 (Kevin’s Recap) – 02/28/2016
- NEXT MEETING: Friday 03/10/2017 at Sunrise
- PROJECTED STARTERS: Luongo (10-8-2 .924/2.24 0SO), Dubnyk (13-6-3 .946/1.63 4SO)
- TALE OF THE TAPE via Left Wing Lock
- JAGR WATCH: All-time vs MIN Wild (RS): 18GP 6G-14A 20P -5 1GWG
- PLAYER STATS: Florida / Minnesota/
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Scouting Report:
In some ways, it will be the same old thing for Eric Staal to face the Panthers on Tuesday, just like he did dozens of times when he skated for the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida was a rival in the old Southeast Division. And in other ways, everything is different for the Minnesota Wild’s newest offensive threat. Staal, in his first season in Minnesota after signing as a free agent over the summer, enters this game having recently reached a major milestone. His assist on an empty net goal late in the Wild’s 3-1 win over St. Louis on Sunday gives Staal 800 career points. He seems anything but satisfied with the round number. “It’s a nice feeling,” said Staal, who will be facing the Panthers for the 67th time in his career on Tuesday. “Honestly, I’m hoping for a lot more as my career moves on. But nonetheless, very grateful and honored to one, make the NHL and to play as long as I have and to put up that kind of number is special.” The Wild have been playing well at home generally, and host a Panthers team that has never won a regulation game in Minnesota, going 0-7-2 all-time at Xcel Energy Center. (More via Yahoo! Sports/AP)
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Last game by the Cats: 4-2 home victory over Vancouver Saturday. Past five: 1-2-2 (streak: 1W)
Last game by the Wild: 3-1 home win over St. Louis on Sunday. Past five: 4-0-1 (streak: 4W)
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Tuesday in the Atlantic Division (Standings/Panthers Playoff Chances):
- Los Angeles (14-11-2 30P) at BUFFALO (10-11-6 26P), 7:00
- San Jose (16-11-1 33P) at TORONTO (11-11-5 27P)
- Arizona (9-14-5 23P) at DETROIT (13-12-4 30P)
- Idle: MTL (42P), OTW (34P), BOS (34P), TB (30P)/
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