The Minnesota Wild and Montreal Canadiens meet Tuesday at Bell Centre with two of the better records in the NHL on the line. This Wild vs Canadiens preview breaks down a matchup between a Central Division leader and an Atlantic Division contender, each riding recent stretches of strong hockey into a season series opener. Minnesota enters at 12-3-4, while Montreal sits at 11-3-3, and both clubs have won four of their last five games.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET, with the Wild looking to build on a 28-point pace atop the Central and the Canadiens aiming to stay within two points of Boston atop the Atlantic.
Wild Vs Canadiens Game Information
- Date: Tuesday, Nov. 10
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Venue: Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
- TV/Streaming: ESPN+, MINNHL
- Series: First meeting of the 2026-27 season series
Minnesota Wild Outlook
Minnesota leads the Central Division with 28 points and has allowed a league-low 43 goals in 19 games, a 2.26 goals-against average that ranks among the stingiest marks in the league. The Wild have outshot opponents 564-487 this season, a gap that has helped fuel an 11.2% shooting rate and 63 total goals.
The Wild split their last two games, beating the San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Nov. 7 before falling 4-3 in overtime to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 8. Kirill Kaprizov leads the team with 16 goals and 31 points, while Quinn Hughes paces the blue line with 20 assists.
Minnesota is working through notable absences on defense, with Jared Spurgeon (lower body) and Brock Faber (skull surgery) both on injured reserve with a projected return date of Nov. 14. Starting goalie Filip Gustavsson remains on injured reserve recovering from hip surgery, with a return date of Nov. 19. Forward Michael McCarron is listed day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Jesper Wallstedt is projected as the probable starting goalie in net for Minnesota.
Montreal Canadiens Outlook
Montreal sits second in the Atlantic Division with 25 points and has won four of its last five games, including a 4-2 win at Toronto on Nov. 8. The Canadiens have scored 59 goals on 470 shots this season, a 12.6% shooting percentage, and have won 52.1% of their faceoffs, the better mark in this matchup.
Lane Hutson leads Montreal with 17 points on 14 assists, while Cole Caufield paces the forward group with 11 goals. The Canadiens have allowed 53 goals against a 3.12 goals-against average, with a .895 team save percentage.
Montreal’s injury list is lengthy. Ivan Demidov remains on injured reserve with a right ankle fracture, projected to return Nov. 14, and defenseman Mike Matheson is out with a lower-body injury on the same timeline. Starting goalie Sam Montembeault is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, with a projected return date of Nov. 10.
Forwards Jake Evans (hand) and Josh Anderson (personal) are both listed day-to-day with the same Nov. 10 target date. With Montembeault out, Jacob Fowler is projected as the probable starting goalie for the Canadiens.
Key Matchup
Minnesota’s defense against Montreal’s offense sets the terms of this game. The Wild have allowed just 43 goals through 19 games, the stingiest total in this matchup by a wide margin, while the Canadiens have scored 59 goals despite missing key forwards Demidov, Evans and Anderson in recent stretches. Montreal’s power play has converted just eight goals all season, far behind Minnesota’s 18, which could make special teams a deciding factor if the Wild draw penalties against a Canadiens defense already missing Matheson.
Goaltending adds another layer. Wallstedt takes the net for Minnesota in place of the injured Gustavsson, while Fowler is projected to start for Montreal with Montembeault still on injured reserve. Both goalies will be working behind blue lines that are shorthanded, which puts extra weight on even-strength defensive structure for each side.
What To Watch
Both teams arrive with four wins in their last five games, and the result carries early-season weight in two separate divisional races. Minnesota is trying to hold its lead atop the Central over Dallas and Colorado, while Montreal is working to close the gap on Boston at the top of the Atlantic. A full injured reserve list on both sides, particularly in net and on the blue line, means lineup depth will be tested from puck drop.
The Wild return to action after this road trip continues, while the Canadiens look to extend their recent run at home. Further injury updates on Spurgeon, Faber, Demidov and Matheson are expected as their projected return dates approach later in November.
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