The Minnesota Wild (20-9-5) square off against the Columbus Blue Jackets (14-13-6) in NHL play on Thursday, starting at 7 p.m. ET at Nationwide Arena and broadcast on ESPN+. The Wild sit in third place in the Western Conference with 45 points and the Blue Jackets are 15th in the Eastern Conference with 34 points.
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Wild vs. Blue Jackets: Dec. 18 Viewing Options
- Date: Thursday, December 18, 2025
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- How to watch on TV: ESPN+
- Location: Columbus, Ohio
- Venue: Nationwide Arena
- Live Stream: Watch this game on ESPN+
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo (Regional restrictions may apply)
Wild's 2025-26 Stats
| Stat | Per-Game Average | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Goals Scored | 2.97 | 18th |
| Goals Allowed | 2.53 | 2nd |
| Shots | 28.1 | 17th |
| Shots Allowed | 29.7 | 26th |
| Power Play % | 23.08% | 9th |
| Penalty Kill % | 79.01% | 22nd |
Blue Jackets' 2025-26 Stats
| Stat | Per-Game Average | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Goals Scored | 2.91 | 21st |
| Goals Allowed | 3.45 | 29th |
| Shots | 30.0 | 4th |
| Shots Allowed | 31.0 | 30th |
| Power Play % | 18.52% | 16th |
| Penalty Kill % | 72.83% | 30th |
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Wild vs. Blue Jackets Top Players
Wild
- A productive offensive player this season for Minnesota, Matthew Boldy has put up 38 points.
- Having scored 21 goals and adding 17 assists, Kirill Kaprizov is a strong contributor for Minnesota through 34 games.
- Through 33 games, Marcus Johansson has proven himself as a scoring option for Minnesota. He has 26 points (11 goals and 15 assists).
- Across 22 games played, Filip Gustavsson has a goaltending record of 11-8-3. During those games, he's allowed 55 goals while recording 571 saves.
Blue Jackets
- Zachary Werenski has scored 11 goals (0.3 per game) and collected 25 assists (0.8 per game), fueling the Columbus offense with 36 total points (1.1 per game). He averages 3.6 shots per game, shooting 9.2%.
- Kirill Marchenko has amassed 26 points this season, with 10 goals and 16 assists.
- Dmitri Voronkov has netted 12 goals on the season, chipping in 10 assists.
- Jet Greaves is 8-8-5 on the season, allowing 58 goals (2.8 goals against average) and collecting 548 saves with a .904 save percentage (28th in the league).
Wild vs. Blue Jackets Injury Report
Wild
Marcus Johansson: Day-To-Day (Lower Body),
Vinnie Hinostroza: Day-To-Day (Lower Body),
Zach Bogosian: Day-To-Day (Lower Body),
Jacob Middleton: Out (Upper Body),
Mats Zuccarello: Out (Upper Body),
Daemon Hunt: Day-To-Day (Undisclosed),
Jonas Brodin: Out (Upper Body)
Blue Jackets
Erik Gudbranson: Out (Hip),
Mathieu Olivier: Out (Upper Body)
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Wild's Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Score | Home/Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/13/2025 | Senators | W 3-2 | Home |
| 12/14/2025 | Bruins | W 6-2 | Home |
| 12/16/2025 | Capitals | W 5-0 | Home |
| 12/18/2025 | Blue Jackets | - | Away |
| 12/20/2025 | Oilers | - | Home |
| 12/21/2025 | Avalanche | - | Home |
| 12/23/2025 | Predators | - | Home |
Blue Jackets' Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Score | Home/Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/11/2025 | Senators | L 6-3 | Home |
| 12/13/2025 | Golden Knights | L 3-2 | Home |
| 12/16/2025 | Ducks | W 4-3 | Home |
| 12/18/2025 | Wild | - | Home |
| 12/20/2025 | Ducks | - | Away |
| 12/22/2025 | Kings | - | Away |
| 12/28/2025 | Islanders | - | Home |