🏒 PREGAME · GAME 4 🏒
Minnesota Wild at Tampa Bay Lightning
🚨 Puck drops at 6:00 PM Central · Thursday, October 8, 2026
📍 Benchmark International Arena · Tampa, FL

Watch: Wild+ | Listen: KFAN 100.3 · Other viewing options

Hey Wild fans — Michael here. The road trip moves to Florida. Let’s get you set for Game 4 against the Lightning!

Tonight’s records: Minnesota 2–0–1 · Tampa Bay 2–1–0. Matchup preview

🎥 Last game takeaway: Yurov and Shabanov scored their first goals of the season, but a 2–0 lead became a 3–2 overtime loss. Getting scoring beyond the usual names is encouraging; finishing the job is the next test.
Watch Shabanov’s goal (0:48) · Game recap

Roster watch: Nick Foligno is out with an upper-body injury, and Nico Sturm will make his season debut. Marcus Foligno moves to the projected third line, with Trenin joining McCarron and Sturm on the fourth. Faber and Gustavsson remain unavailable. Morning-skate updates
Starting goalie: Jesper Wallstedt is confirmed.

Projected combinations from October 8 morning-skate reporting. Final scratches and warmup changes remain pending.

FORWARDS
Line 1: Blake Coleman – Joel Eriksson Ek – Matt Boldy
Line 2: Kirill Kaprizov – Danila Yurov – Maxim Shabanov
Line 3: Marcus Foligno – Ryan Hartman – Bobby Brink
Line 4: Yakov Trenin – Michael McCarron – Nico Sturm

DEFENSE
Def 1: Quinn Hughes – Jared Spurgeon
Def 2: Olli Määttä – Jonas Brodin
Def 3: Daemon Hunt – Zach Bogosian

GOALTENDERS
In Net: Jesper Wallstedt (confirmed)
Backup: Calvin Pickard (projected)
Injured: Nick Foligno, Brock Faber, Filip Gustavsson
Scratches: Final scratches pending.
Updated projected combinations

🔥 The Yurov line. If these combinations hold, watch how Yurov connects Kaprizov and Shabanov. Can they turn a clean zone entry into a second chance instead of one shot and a change?

🧱 Protect the next lead. If Minnesota goes ahead, watch the next few shifts: controlled exits, fresh legs and no easy rushes the other way. Keep attacking without forcing the play.

🎯 Keep the penalty kill clean. Minnesota is 9-for-9 on the kill this season. That’s a useful start, but staying out of the box is still the better plan against Tampa. Watch whether Minnesota can defend without reaching and keep its shifts under control.

🤔 What can we do better?

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Let’s go Wild!
— Michael

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