{"id":22653,"date":"2026-10-18T11:36:36","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T11:36:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/?p=22653"},"modified":"2026-10-18T11:36:38","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T11:36:38","slug":"nhl-sunday-preview-wild-flames","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/nhl-sunday-preview-wild-flames","title":{"rendered":"NHL Sunday Preview: Wild Host CBJ, Flames Face CAR"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Sunday\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/league\/nhl-366\">NHL<\/a> card is short on volume and long on contrast. Only two games are scheduled, but both ask the same early-season question in different ways: can a club that just found a win protect it on the road, and can a streaking Metropolitan leader keep rolling when the injury board is loud? The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/minnesota-wild-6416\">Minnesota Wild<\/a> host the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/columbus-blue-jackets-6427\">Columbus Blue Jackets<\/a> at 6:00 PM EST, then the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/carolina-hurricanes-6456\">Carolina Hurricanes<\/a> visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/calgary-flames-6412\">Calgary Flames<\/a> at 8:00 PM EST. All times below are EST.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Minnesota sits fifth in the Central at 5-2-1 with 11 points and has not lost at Grand Casino Arena (3-0-0). Columbus is 3-3-0 with 6 points, still looking for a first road point, and arrives off a 1-0 overtime squeeze of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/new-york-rangers-6393\">New York Rangers<\/a>. Later, Carolina brings a Metropolitan lead, a W7 streak, and a 5-0-0 road mark into a Flames building that is still searching for its first home win. This nhl preview walks both matchups through standings, recent scores, and the availability issues that could decide the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#sunday-slate-snapshot\">Sunday slate snapshot<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#minnesota-wild-vs-columbus-blue-jackets\">Minnesota Wild vs Columbus Blue Jackets<\/a><ul><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#calgary-flames-vs-carolina-hurricanes\">Calgary Flames vs Carolina Hurricanes<\/a><ul><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#what-to-watch\">What to watch<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#fa-qs\">FAQs<\/a><ul><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sunday-slate-snapshot\">Sunday slate snapshot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-80986836-1-1024x653.jpg\" alt=\"NHL\" class=\"wp-image-22662\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-80986836-1-1024x653.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-80986836-1-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-80986836-1-768x490.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-80986836-1-1536x980.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-80986836-1-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Bruce Bennett\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Two puck drops, two time zones in practice, one clock for readers: Eastern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>6:00 PM EST<\/strong> \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/columbus-blue-jackets-6427\">Columbus Blue Jackets<\/a> at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/minnesota-wild-6416\">Minnesota Wild<\/a>, Grand Casino Arena<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>8:00 PM EST<\/strong> \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/carolina-hurricanes-6456\">Carolina Hurricanes<\/a> at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/calgary-flames-6412\">Calgary Flames<\/a>, Scotiabank Saddledome<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Minnesota (11 points) and Carolina (15 points) are the table favorites on paper. Columbus (6) and Calgary (2) are playing from behind in the Metropolitan and Pacific, respectively. Goal differential tells the same story in sharper ink: Minnesota is plus-6 (26-20), Carolina is plus-13 (34-21), Columbus is minus-4 (17-21), and Calgary is minus-21 (14-35).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"minnesota-wild-vs-columbus-blue-jackets\">Minnesota Wild vs Columbus Blue Jackets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/minnesota-wild-2.jpg\" alt=\"NHL preview of Minnesota Wild hosting Columbus at Grand Casino Arena\" class=\"wp-image-22663\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/minnesota-wild-2.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/minnesota-wild-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/minnesota-wild-2-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Joe Hrycych\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Sunday, October 18 \u00b7 6:00 PM EST \u00b7 Grand Casino Arena<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Columbus needed a reset after a 7-3 home loss to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/florida-panthers-6415\">Florida Panthers<\/a> and a 5-3 defeat in St. Louis. The Blue Jackets answered with a 3-2 shootout win over the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/pittsburgh-penguins-6410\">Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a>, then a 1-0 overtime win over the Rangers at Nationwide Arena. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/kent-johnson-65473873\">Kent Johnson<\/a> finished that OT winner with help from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/zach-werenski-63981120\">Zach Werenski<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/charlie-coyle-63980699\">Charlie Coyle<\/a>, a low-event script that fits a team averaging 2.8 goals for and 3.5 against. The next step is harder: Columbus is 0-1-0 away and has not yet banked a road point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Minnesota\u2019s home building has been the stabilizer. The Wild are 3-0-0 at Grand Casino Arena, including a 4-2 win over the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/vegas-golden-knights-48722\">Vegas Golden Knights<\/a> and a 5-4 decision against the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/st.-louis-blues-6425\">St. Louis Blues<\/a>. In that Blues game, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/matthew-boldy-63980792\">Matt Boldy<\/a> stacked a three-goal night and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/kirill-kaprizov-63980789\">Kirill Kaprizov<\/a> added a goal and multiple helpers alongside <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/joel-eriksson-ek-63980802\">Joel Eriksson Ek<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/quinn-hughes-63980530\">Quinn Hughes<\/a>. Minnesota also owns a 4-1 road win in Florida, proof the attack can travel when the top of the lineup is humming. The stumble was a 5-2 loss in Winnipeg, which is why Sunday is less about perfection and more about whether the home process holds when the absences pile up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"availability-and-structure\">Availability and structure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/minnesota-wild-kirill-kaprizov.jpg\" alt=\"NHL preview featuring Minnesota Wild scorers ahead of Columbus matchup\" class=\"wp-image-22666\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/minnesota-wild-kirill-kaprizov.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/minnesota-wild-kirill-kaprizov-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/minnesota-wild-kirill-kaprizov-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Peter Joneleit\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Minnesota\u2019s missing\/doubtful list is the loudest subplot of the early game. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/filip-gustavsson-63980931\">Filip Gustavsson<\/a> is out with a hip issue, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/brock-faber-67925544\">Brock Faber<\/a> is sidelined with a skull injury, and the blue line is further thinned by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/jared-spurgeon-63980798\">Jared Spurgeon<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/olli-maatta-63980542\">Olli Maatta<\/a>. Up front, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/marcus-foligno-63980784\">Marcus Foligno<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/nick-foligno-63980711\">Nick Foligno<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/nico-sturm-63980781\">Nico Sturm<\/a> are listed missing. Kaprizov is doubtful with an undisclosed issue even after posting 9 goals and 5 assists already. That is the swing variable: Minnesota\u2019s home record was built with its best scorer producing, and Columbus will plan for both versions of this Wild team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Columbus is not fully healthy either. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/ivan-provorov-63980913\">Ivan Provorov<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/dante-fabbro-63981216\">Dante Fabbro<\/a> are among the defensemen listed missing, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/isac-lundestrom-63980859\">Isac Lundestrom<\/a> also out. That puts more minutes and exit responsibility on Werenski and the remaining pairings in a building where Minnesota has scored in bunches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-the-matchup-should-play\">How the matchup should play<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Expect Columbus to try to shrink the game the way it did against New York: protect the neutral zone, force Minnesota to make an extra play, and wait for one clean look from Johnson or a Werenski activation. Minnesota should want pace and layered attacks, especially if Boldy and Eriksson Ek can recreate the Blues-night connection. If Kaprizov plays, the Wild power the middle of the ice; if he sits, Minnesota still has home structure and a plus-6 goal differential to lean on, but the margin for a soft defensive shift gets thinner without Faber and Spurgeon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Stat:<\/strong> Minnesota is 3-0-0 at home; Columbus is 0-1-0 on the road and just 6 points through six games.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Projected Score:<\/strong> Minnesota 3\u20132 Columbus (projection)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"calgary-flames-vs-carolina-hurricanes\">Calgary Flames vs Carolina Hurricanes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-2271145023.jpg\" alt=\"NHL preview of Calgary Flames hosting Carolina at Scotiabank Saddledome\" class=\"wp-image-22665\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-2271145023.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-2271145023-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-2271145023-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Leah Hennel\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Sunday, October 18 \u00b7 8:00 PM EST \u00b7 Scotiabank Saddledome<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Carolina is the clearest form story in the league right now. The Hurricanes are 7-1-1 with 15 points, first in the Metropolitan, and winners of seven straight. They are averaging 3.8 goals for and 2.3 against, and the road split is perfect at 5-0-0. Recent results stack quickly: 5-2 in Chicago, 4-1 in Philadelphia, 4-2 at home over the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/washington-capitals-6419\">Washington Capitals<\/a>, and 3-2 in Winnipeg. Against Washington, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/andrei-svechnikov-63981243\">Andrei Svechnikov<\/a> scored twice, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/sebastian-aho-63981257\">Sebastian Aho<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/nikolaj-ehlers-63981095\">Nikolaj Ehlers<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/eric-robinson-63981116\">Eric Robinson<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/jackson-blake-70967552\">Jackson Blake<\/a> all touching the scoresheet in supporting roles. In Winnipeg, Carolina again found ways even when the score stayed tight, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/logan-stankoven-63718240\">Logan Stankoven<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/bradly-nadeau-70967558\">Bradly Nadeau<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/shayne-gostisbehere-63981000\">Shayne Gostisbehere<\/a> involved in the attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Calgary\u2019s season has been the opposite climb. The Flames are 1-6-0 with 2 points, last in the Pacific, outscored 35-14, and still 0-3-0 at the Saddledome. They did break through with a 4-2 win in Anaheim, where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/adam-klapka-66854113\">Adam Klapka<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/joel-farabee-63980899\">Joel Farabee<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/mikael-backlund-63980675\">Mikael Backlund<\/a> helped push the offense, then fell 6-2 in Vegas as the defensive leaks returned. Allowing 5.0 goals per game is not a sustainable home identity, and Carolina\u2019s forecheck is built to punish exactly that kind of gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"availability-and-structure-1\">Availability and structure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/carolina-hurricanes-2.jpg\" alt=\"NHL preview of Carolina Hurricanes on a seven-game win streak in Calgary\n\n\" class=\"wp-image-22667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/carolina-hurricanes-2.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/carolina-hurricanes-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/carolina-hurricanes-2-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Jaylynn Nash\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Carolina is rolling without a full deck. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/seth-jarvis-63981255\">Seth Jarvis<\/a> (shoulder), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/jordan-staal-63981254\">Jordan Staal<\/a> (calf), and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/taylor-hall-63980688\">Taylor Hall<\/a> (upper body, 3 goals and 2 assists already) are listed missing, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/alexander-nikishin-38331779\">Alexander Nikishin<\/a> remains out with a contract dispute. That still leaves Aho, Svechnikov, Ehlers, Gostisbehere, and a deep middle-six that has covered for absences through the streak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Calgary is without <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/jonathan-huberdeau-63980759\">Jonathan Huberdeau<\/a> (hip) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/sam-honzek-70965804\">Sam Honzek<\/a> (lower body). Losing Huberdeau\u2019s playmaking softens Calgary\u2019s ability to exit pressure cleanly, which is dangerous against a Hurricanes team that already owns the Metropolitan and has not lost in regulation during this seven-game run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-the-matchup-should-play-2\">How the matchup should play<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Carolina should dictate with controlled entries, quick retrievals, and the same road patience that traveled through Chicago, Philadelphia, and Winnipeg. Calgary\u2019s best path is a simplified home game: shorter passes, tighter gaps in front of the net, and secondary scoring from Farabee, Backlund, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/martin-pospisil-63692279\">Martin Pospisil<\/a>, and Klapka if the Flames can keep the shot quality down. If this becomes a track meet, Carolina\u2019s plus-13 differential and 5-0-0 road mark are built for it. If Calgary can turn it into a grind, the Flames still need a first home win against the hottest team on the board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Stat:<\/strong> Carolina is on a seven-game win streak and 5-0-0 on the road; Calgary is 0-3-0 at home and minus-21 in goal differential.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Projected Score:<\/strong> Carolina 4\u20132 Calgary (projection)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-to-watch\">What to watch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Kaprizov\u2019s status in Minnesota.<\/strong> Doubtful after 9 goals and 5 assists, his availability changes Minnesota\u2019s ceiling against a Blue Jackets club that just won 1-0 in OT.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Columbus road composure.<\/strong> The Blue Jackets have the recent win, but not the road points. Werenski\u2019s ability to run exits without Provorov and Fabbro is central.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Boldy\u2019s continuation.<\/strong> A hat trick against St. Louis makes Boldy the clearest Minnesota finisher if Kaprizov is limited or out.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Carolina\u2019s depth without Jarvis, Staal, and Hall.<\/strong> The streak has already survived absences; Calgary is the next stress test.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Flames home response.<\/strong> 0-3-0 at the Saddledome with 5.0 goals against per game is the problem Carolina will try to expose early.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"fa-qs\">FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-nhl-games-are-on-tonight\">What NHL games are on tonight?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Two games: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/columbus-blue-jackets-6427\">Columbus Blue Jackets<\/a> at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/minnesota-wild-6416\">Minnesota Wild<\/a> at 6:00 PM EST, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/carolina-hurricanes-6456\">Carolina Hurricanes<\/a> at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/calgary-flames-6412\">Calgary Flames<\/a> at 8:00 PM EST.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-time-does-blue-jackets-vs-wild-start-in-est\">What time does Blue Jackets vs Wild start in EST?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Puck drop is 6:00 PM EST at Grand Casino Arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-time-does-hurricanes-vs-flames-start-in-est\">What time does Hurricanes vs Flames start in EST?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Puck drop is 8:00 PM EST at Scotiabank Saddledome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is-carolinas-record-entering-sunday\">What is Carolina\u2019s record entering Sunday?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/carolina-hurricanes-6456\">Hurricanes<\/a> are 7-1-1 with 15 points, first in the Metropolitan Division, plus-13 in goal differential, and on a seven-game win streak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-are-the-wild-doing-at-home\">How are the Wild doing at home?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/team\/minnesota-wild-6416\">Wild<\/a> are 3-0-0 at home and 5-2-1 overall with 11 points. They just beat St. Louis 5-4 in their last home game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"who-is-doubtful-for-minnesota\">Who is doubtful for Minnesota?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/kirill-kaprizov-63980789\">Kirill Kaprizov<\/a> is listed as doubtful. Minnesota also has several players listed missing, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/filip-gustavsson-63980931\">Filip Gustavsson<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/brock-faber-67925544\">Brock Faber<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/jared-spurgeon-63980798\">Jared Spurgeon<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-are-the-flames-struggling-early\">Why are the Flames struggling early?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Calgary is 1-6-0 with 2 points, a 14-35 goal differential, and an 0-3-0 home record while allowing 5.0 goals per game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"can-columbus-spoil-minnesota-at-grand-casino-arena\">Can Columbus spoil Minnesota at Grand Casino Arena?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes on paper. Columbus is coming off a 1-0 OT win over the Rangers and owns recent one-goal experience, but the Blue Jackets are 0-1-0 away against a Wild team that has not lost at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-good-has-carolina-been-on-the-road\">How good has Carolina been on the road?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Perfect so far: 5-0-0 away, including wins in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Winnipeg during the current streak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"who-has-been-scoring-for-minnesota-lately\">Who has been scoring for Minnesota lately?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/matthew-boldy-63980792\">Matt Boldy<\/a> had three goals against St. Louis, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/hockey\/player\/kirill-kaprizov-63980789\">Kirill Kaprizov<\/a> has 9 goals and 5 assists overall entering Sunday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sunday\u2019s NHL card is short on volume and long on contrast. Only two games are scheduled, but both ask the same early-season question in different ways: can a club that just found a win protect it on the road, and can a streaking Metropolitan leader keep rolling when the injury board is loud? The Minnesota &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":22661,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"NHL Sunday Preview: Wild vs CBJ, Flames vs CAR","rank_math_description":"NHL preview for Sunday\u2019s two-game slate: Blue Jackets at Wild (6 PM EST) and Hurricanes at Flames (8 PM EST), with standings, form, and injury notes.","rank_math_canonical_url":"","rank_math_focus_keyword":"NHL,game,preview","rank_math_facebook_image":"","rank_math_robots":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[232,231],"tags":[1463,1582,226,3485],"content-tags":[],"article_type":[3332],"entity_type":[3336],"inspiration":[3340],"class_list":["post-22653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nhl","category-hockey","tag-carolina","tag-hockey","tag-nhl","tag-preview","article_type-seo","entity_type-match","inspiration-relevancy-trending"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22653"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22653\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22673,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22653\/revisions\/22673"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22661"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22653"},{"taxonomy":"content-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-tags?post=22653"},{"taxonomy":"article_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_type?post=22653"},{"taxonomy":"entity_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity_type?post=22653"},{"taxonomy":"inspiration","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/inspiration?post=22653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}