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Minnesota Wild vs Carolina Hurricanes February 6th 2025
Looking to win big? The Hurricanes and Wild face off at 7:30 ET on ESPN+. The Wild are hosting the game at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. The Hurricanes are favored by -1.5 goals in this non-conference showdown. The game’s over/under is currently at 5.5 goals.
Carolina vs. Minnesota Key Information
- Teams: Hurricanes at Wild
- Where: Xcel Energy Center St. Paul
- Date: Thursday, February 6th
- Betting Odds CAR -164 | MIN +139 O/U 5.5
The Hurricanes Can Win If…
Carolina improved to 32-18-4 with a 4-2 road win over the Capitals. The Hurricanes covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 6 goals matched the pre-game line.
The Hurricanes scored first, but the Capitals responded with two goals in the first period. Carolina then scored three unanswered goals to secure the victory, including an empty-netter with 9 seconds left in the game.
Carolina’s offense fired 45 shots on goal in their 4-2 win over the Capitals. Dmitry Orlov scored twice, bringing his season total to three goals. Martin Necas added his sixth goal of the season and picked up two assists, giving him 12 assists for the year. Andrei Svechnikov scored his sixth goal on an empty net with just 9 seconds left in the game.
The Hurricanes scored their first goal at 5:59 in the first period, added two more in the second, and capped off their scoring with Svechnikov’s empty-netter. Despite 14 giveaways, Carolina managed to score four times, including Orlov’s second goal at 14:34 in the second period.
Carolina’s defense struggled late in the first period, giving up two goals in the final minute, but they didn’t allow another goal after that, leading to a 4-2 win. Pyotr Kochetkov made 19 saves with a 90.5% save percentage, and the Hurricanes’ defense finished with 7 takeaways and 10 hits.
- Through their last three regular season contests, Carolina has a record of 1-2. Against the spread, Carolina went 0-3 in these games and finished with an over-under mark of 1-2.
- The Hurricanes have gone 6-4 over their last ten regular season games. The team’s record vs the puck line was just 3-7, in addition to an over-under mark of 3-6-1.
The Wild Can Win If…
With a 2-1 overtime win against the Maple Leafs, the Wild improved to 31-19-4. Minnesota, favored by -1.5 goals, didn’t cover the puck line. The total was set at 6 goals, but the game’s combined 3 goals fell well short of that mark.
Ryan Hartman opened the scoring for the Wild at 10:19 in the first period, but the Maple Leafs tied it up with just 52 seconds left in the period. Matt Boldy netted the game-winner at 2:14 in overtime.
Ryan Hartman opened the scoring for the Wild, netting his third goal of the season 9:41 into the first period. Matt Boldy followed with his sixth goal, which came in overtime to secure a 2-1 win over the Maple Leafs.
Jared Spurgeon picked up two assists, bringing his season total to three. The Wild fired 33 shots on goal but were held scoreless in the second and third periods before Boldy’s overtime winner.
Defensively, the Wild will look to build on their previous performance, where they allowed just one goal to Toronto. Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves with a 96.4% save percentage. The Wild’s defense also contributed 7 takeaways and 22 hits. The only goal they allowed came at 19:08 in the first period on a Maple Leafs power play.
- Minnesota has put together a record of 1-2 in their last three games (regular season). In these contests, the team went just 1-2 against the spread, while going 1-2 on the over-under.
- The Wild have gone 4-6 over their last ten regular season games. Their record against the puck line in this stretch is 4-6 to go along with an over-under mark of 4-5-1.
The Lean
When making a moneyline pick, my choice is the Wild to come out with a win against the Hurricanes while playing at home. Considering the moneyline odds at +139, I’m placing my bet on the Wild to win outright.
Our projections have the Wild pulling out a win as the underdog. But if you’re not as bullish as we are on the Wild, we’d recommend at least getting a bet down on them to cover the puck line.
For those looking at the over/under line set at 5.5 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making a bet on the over.
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Wild Look to Break Home Struggles Against Hurricanes
The Minnesota Wild (31-19-6, 68 points) have been road warriors this season, but their home performance has been a major concern. As they return to Xcel Energy Center to face the Carolina Hurricanes (33-18-5, 71 points) on Thursday, they’ll look to improve their inconsistent home form while Carolina tries to snap a two-game losing streak.
Wild Dominant on the Road, Struggling at Home
Minnesota has been one of the NHL’s best road teams this season, boasting a 20-7-3 record away from home. However, their 11-12-1 home record has been a stark contrast, with several key stats highlighting the issue:
🛑 Offensive Struggles at Home: 2.58 goals per game (31st in NHL)
🛑 Defensive Issues: 3.29 goals against per game (7th-most in NHL)
🛑 Weak Penalty Kill at Home: 61.1% success rate (worst in NHL)
🛑 Third-Period Problems: Only 22 third-period goals at home (30th in NHL)
By comparison, on the road, the Wild rank 12th in scoring (3.03 goals per game) and 2nd in goals allowed (2.47 per game).
Despite their strong away form, the Wild enter this matchup on a two-game losing streak after being shut out in back-to-back games (6-0 vs. Ottawa, 3-0 vs. Boston).
“Maybe that’s a good change, coming home needing to turn things around a little bit,” forward Marcus Johansson said. “We need to make our home a place that’s tough to play in, and we haven’t done that yet so far.”
Key Players for Minnesota
✔ Marco Rossi: 46 points (18G, 28A) – second on team behind injured Kirill Kaprizov (52 points)
✔ Joel Eriksson Ek: 42 points (21G, 21A) – key offensive contributor
✔ Filip Gustavsson: Likely starting goalie, looking to bounce back from recent losses
Hurricanes Need a Power Play Spark
The Hurricanes (6-2-1 in their last 9 games) enter Thursday’s matchup after suffering consecutive losses to the Kings (4-2) and Jets (3-0).
One of their biggest struggles has been the power play, which has gone just 1-for-25 in the last 10 games.
“I feel like special teams, for sure, cost us the game,” forward Sebastian Aho said after the loss to Winnipeg. “We had our looks, but we weren’t able to cash in. That’s been the trend as of late.”
Hurricanes Key Players to Watch:
🔴 Sebastian Aho: 4 goals, 3 assists in his last 7 games before recent slump
🔴 Andrei Svechnikov: Power forward who can change the game with physical play
🔴 Frederik Andersen: Expected in net, looking to rebound after recent struggles
Matchup to Watch: Minnesota’s Home Woes vs. Carolina’s Power Play Issues
📊 Minnesota’s home struggles vs. Carolina’s recent scoring drought
📊 Sebastian Aho vs. Minnesota’s defense
📊 Power play efficiency – Can Carolina break their slump?
Both teams desperately need a bounce-back win, making this a high-stakes battle before the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
