The Minnesota Wild (44-30-7) stand on the precipice of playoff qualification as they host the struggling Anaheim Ducks (35-37-8) at Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday night.
With Minnesota's stingy defense allowing just two goals in their last outing and the Ducks dropping two straight while giving up 10 goals, the contrasting trajectories couldn't be clearer.
The Wild's formidable defensive unit led by Brock Faber and Jacob Middleton looks poised to neutralize an Anaheim offense that has mustered only three goals across their last two defeats.
Minnesota Wild vs. Anaheim Ducks prediction: who will win?
For today's Minnesota Wild vs Anaheim Ducks matchup, our predictive model gives the Wild a 60% chance of defeating the Ducks.
Pre-game probabilities
Minnesota Wild
Moneyline
Win %
60%
40%
Anaheim Ducks
Minnesota Wild: 60% win probability
- Superior overall season performance (95 points in 81 games vs Ducks' 78 points in 80 games)
- Better goal differential (-12 compared to Ducks' -40, indicating stronger defensive capabilities)
- Strong recent form with 3 wins in their last 5 games (WLWWL vs Ducks' LLWWL)
Anaheim Ducks: 40% win probability
- Defensive vulnerabilities (258 goals against, ranking in the bottom third of the Western Conference)
- Poor road performance (indicated by their position of 12th in Western Conference despite similar games played)
- Inconsistent scoring (218 goals for the season, significantly below the Wild's 225 despite similar games played)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts.
Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts.
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Minnesota Wild vs. Anaheim Ducks preview
The Minnesota Wild stand just one victory away from clinching a playoff berth as they host the struggling Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night at Xcel Energy Center.
Minnesota's stingy defense has been their calling card all season, allowing just 2.89 goals per game while Filip Gustavsson has emerged as a wall between the pipes with an impressive 22.8 goals saved above average.
The Ducks arrive in St. Paul after dropping two straight, with their offense continuing to sputter at just 2.71 goals per game despite solid contributions from Troy Terry and Mason McTavish.
Both clubs feature top-heavy attacks that have struggled for consistency, but the Wild's defensive core of Faber, Middleton, Spurgeon, and Brodin gives them a significant edge in what projects as a tight-checking affair.
With Minnesota's playoff hopes hanging in the balance and the Ducks playing out the string on a disappointing season, expect the Xcel Energy Center crowd to create the type of atmosphere that has made this venue such a fortress for the home team.
The recent numbers tell the story – Minnesota has allowed just two goals in their last game while Anaheim has managed only three goals across their previous two contests, setting the stage for what could be a classic low-scoring Western Conference showdown.
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