Ducks Wild Betting – Ducks Land In Wild Looking For Crucial Points Tuesday

There won’t be much romance when the Anaheim Ducks land in St. Paul to take on the Minnesota Wild this Tuesday, a game that will be played as though the NHL postseason has already begun. While the Wild are just on the outside of the top-eight looking in, the Ducks have turned it around under new head coach Bruce Boudreau, and can claw their way back in to contention if they can go on a significant run these next couple of sports betting weeks.

Anaheim Ducks @ Minnesota Wild
Tuesday February 14, 2012 – 7:30 PM ET
Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota
NHL Sportsbook Line: Minnesota Wild

Eight, four, and three-game losing streaks have pushed Minnesota down the standings as the season has progressed, but they have taken two of three from Anaheim this season. However, the Wild’s biggest problem of late has been an inability to score goals, which doesn’t go well with the fact that the Ducks have been much better in their own end.

Ducks Wild Betting Preview: Anaheim Ducks

Heading in to this past weekend, the Ducks had allowed more than two goals in just two of their previous 13 contests, even despite ranking in the bottom-five in the NHL in goals allowed this season. The difference can be attributed to much more responsible play in their own end, as well as netminder Jonas Hiller stepping it up between the pipes. Anaheim will continue to build off their strong two-play and look to the powerplay for the bulk of their offense. The top line has not been the same this year with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry struggling to score goals, and they will need to pick it up down the stretch.

Ducks Wild Betting Preview: Minnesota Wild

The Wild have been a better team at home than they have on the road overall, but lately it hasn’t seemed to matter where they play as they have struggled at both ends of the ice. Minnesota can learn its lesson from the way that the Ducks have played of late, although there will need to be a much greater sense of urgency on the offensive end of the ice, as the Wild have fallen to 29th in the NHL in goals scored with an average of just 2.2 per game. Goalie Nicklas Backstrom will keep them in it early, but you have to score goals to win hockey games so they offense is going to have to pick it up.

Ducks Wild Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick

Anaheim is on the road for eight-straight, a stretch that takes them in to late February, and how well they handle their longest road trip of the season will go a long way in determining how their season plays out. Despite their status as sport bet underdogs, the Ducks have actually been the much better team of late, and that should only continue as they look to continue shutting things down in their own end against a Wild team that is already struggling to score goals.