Wild  3    Lightning  4

Minnesota Wild (7-10-0) at Tampa Bay Lightning (6-4-5), 7:30 p.m.

Sports Network | November 12, 2009

(Sports Network) - The Minnesota Wild have begun to put a slow start to the season behind them. A visit to Tampa Bay might help them extend their recent winning ways.

Having won four of their last five games, the Wild try for an eighth win in 11 all-time meetings with the Lightning tonight at St. Pete Times Forum.

Minnesota's recent success, which includes back-to-back victories for only the second time this season, comes on the heels of a 3-9-0 start. The club kicked off a four-game road trip Tuesday in Toronto, where it earned a 4-2 win.

Mikko Koivu had a goal and two assists and Marek Zidlicky also scored and had one helper for the Wild, who picked up their first-ever victory in Toronto and just the second overall on the road this season (2-8-0).

"The first game of a road trip is always huge," Koivu said. "It's easier to move on. We'll enjoy this one and head to Tampa and get ready for the next one."

Greg Zanon and Martin Havlat lit the lamp as well to help make 37 saves out of Niklas Backstrom stand up. Minnesota also earned a victory despite playing without forward Petr Sykora, who is out indefinitely after suffering a concussion versus Dallas on Saturday.

The Wild now battle the Lightning, whom they are 7-2 with a tie all-time against. That includes a victory in three straight in the series, along with a 3-1 mark with a tie in five lifetime meetings held in St. Petersburg.

Backstrom has never lost to the Lightning, having gone 3-0-0 with a 1.30 goals-against average versus them. He stopped 67-of-69 shots in winning both games last year, including a 1-0 shootout triumph at St. Pete Times Forum.

Tampa Bay returns home after a 2-1-1 road trip, a swing that concluded with Saturday's 3-1 victory in Montreal. Ryan Malone and Alex Tanguay picked up a goal and an assist each, while rookie center James Wright notched the second goal of his career.

"We're glad to get those two points. We're pretty proud of our effort," Tanguay said.

Goaltender Antero Niittymaki was solid, making 36 saves behind a defense that was without rookie Victor Hedman. The second overall pick of the 2009 draft was held out due to an upper-body injury suffered on a hard hit from Ottawa's Chris Neil on Thursday and is day-to-day.

Niittymaki's performance versus the Canadiens could earn him his eighth start of the season tonight. He is 2-0-0 with a 1.51 GAA lifetime versus the Wild, while Mike Smith, who has made eight starts this year, is 2-3-1 with a 1.58 GAA in six games (4 starts) against Minnesota.

Tampa Bay has yet to lose in regulation at home this season, going 4-0-3 as the host thus far.