The No. 2 Wild bring a five-point standings lead and a head-to-head win into a Saturday test at TD Garden.
Saturday’s matchup at TD Garden pits No. 2 Minnesota (14-3-4, 32 points) against No. 3 Boston (13-5-1, 27), with the Wild holding a five-point lead despite playing two more games. Both teams went 4-1 over their last five, but Minnesota has won its past two while Boston is coming off a loss, and the Wild took their season meeting 4-1. Kirill Kaprizov’s 31 points in 17 games lead the matchup, while Boston’s David Pastrnak has 17 points in 13; their ability to drive offense will be central. Boston’s -12.7 turnover margin per game trails Minnesota’s -10.9, making cleaner puck management a potential deciding factor.