Expert recap and game analysis of the Minnesota Wild vs. Buffalo Sabres NHL game from January 17, 2026 on ESPN.

The Sabres, who had won 16 of their previous 18, rallied from two goals down to take a second period lead, only to see Minnesota refuse to fold.

NHL players are returning to the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014, and the Minnesota Wild will be well represented. The United States released its men’s hockey roster for the 2026 Games in Milan-Cortina and Minnesota Wild forwards and defensemen are among those chosen to compete for Olympic gold.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Jesper Bratt and Ondrej Palat each scored twice, and the New Jersey Devils ended a four-game losing streak with a 5-2 win against the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena on Monday.

The New Jersey Devils (22-21-2) will take on the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center tonight. ​ The player to watch is Dougie Hamilton. Hamilton is expected to be in the lineup today after he was healthy-scratched over the weekend.

Jesper Bratt and Ondrej Palat each scored twice and the New Jersey Devils beat the Minnesota Wild 5-2 to snap a four-game skid.

Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day, our writers here at Last Word on Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out.

Quinn Hughes, fresh off being named to the United States Olympic hockey team, had four assists to lead the Minnesota Wild to a 5-2 road victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night.

Brodin, who has played in 42 of the Wild's 47 games this season, has been injured often throughout his career because of his tough minutes.

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes admitted he was not familiar with the Minnesota Wild's game before the Quinn Hughes trade.

Time: 12:30 p.m. ET Through 21 games as the moneyline favorite this season, Buffalo has won 14 times. In 11 games with shorter than -126 moneyline odds this season, the Sabres have won eight. Based on the moneyline odds,