NHL Game of the Week: Minnesota Wild vs. Winnipeg Jets

This week's NHL game of the week takes place at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg.

The Winnipeg Jets are set to host the Minnesota Wild in a big-time division matchup on Saturday night, and a battle between two of the best teams in the league.

This will be the third meeting of the season already, with the Jets taking the first two affairs.

Both the Jets and Wild sit atop the Central division as Winnipeg has 47 points and Minnesota has 44 entering Wednesday’s slate of games.

Kyle Connor, with 40 points and Mark Scheifele, with 37 points, have been the Jets' two best producers offensively through 32 games played this season.

Winnipeg is getting production from many other sources to this point in the year as well.

Defenseman Josh Morrissey has three goals and 27 assists for 30 points on the backend this season.

Gabriel Vilardi is again proving to be a big addition, with 13 goals and 27 points in 33 games this year.

Nikolaj Ehlers is putting together another solid season with 25 points in 24 games but has been out since November 29th due to injury.

Superstar goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has just been flat-out unbelievable between the pipes. Hellebuyck carries a 2.15 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage at this point in the year.

The Wild have had a fantastic start to the season, being tied for third in the entire NHL.

As of Wednesday, December 18th, Minnesota has a record of 20-7-4 and is second in the Central division.

27-year-old Russian phenom Kirill Kaprizov leads the Wild.

Kaprizov ranks second in the NHL in goals with 22 and tied for second in points with 47.

The Wild have been similar to the Jets in how they win games this year with depth and goaltending.

Young winger Matt Boldy has also emerged as a bright young star in the league and has been great for Minnesota this season.

Boldly has tallied 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points in 31 games.

Marco Rossi is building off a breakout year he had a season ago when he scored 21 goals.

This year, Rossi has 25 points in 31 games and looks to continue his good start.

Minnesota is still getting good production out of Mats Zuccarello as well in the 18 games he has appeared in. Zuccarello had two assists in a loss to Vegas on Sunday.

The Wild goaltending tandem of Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury has been great in the blue paint.

Fleury has played in nine games this season and has recorded a 2.51 GAA and a .909 save percentage.

Gustavsson has started 22 games and has a 14-5-3 record. Gustavsson carries a .922 save percentage, and his 2.24 goals against average ranks fourth in the National Hockey League.

Both of these squads play before Saturday night’s meeting.

Winnipeg is in Anaheim to face the Ducks on Wednesday night.

The Wild host the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers on Wednesday and Utah on Friday before making the trip up north to Winnipeg.

Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Austin Moran is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email acm6506@psu.edu.