Minnesota’s No. 2 Index Puts Sharks’ Three-Game Slide on Trial

Minnesota brings an 11-3-3 record and a two-game winning streak to Grand Casino Arena on Friday, while San Jose arrives at 7-9-1 after three straight losses. The power-index gap is stark: the Wild rank No. 2 at 93.9, compared with the Sharks at No. 29 and 34.6. Kirill Kaprizov leads Minnesota with 23 points in 15 games, while Macklin Celebrini tops San Jose with 12 points in 13. The key is whether the Sharks can contain Kaprizov and turn chances for Celebrini into enough offense to challenge a Wild team that has won four of its last five.