(SportsNetwork.com) - Devan Dubnyk will get another chance to show his old club what they're missing when the red-hot goaltender leads the Minnesota Wild into Friday's road battle against the Edmonton Oilers.
Dubnyk, a former first-round pick of Edmonton in 2004, was a member of the Oilers until getting dealt to Nashville last season. He was then sent in another trade to Montreal before signing with Arizona in the offseason. However, it wasn't until Dubnyk was shipped to Minnesota last month that things really began to click for the 28-year-old goaltender.
Since joining the Wild, Dubnyk has finally come into his own and delivered on the promise that led Edmonton to use the 14th overall pick to select him over a decade ago. He is 11-2-1 with a 1.73 goals against average, .936 save percentage and four shutouts in 15 starts with Minnesota.
The trade not only has rejuvenated Dubnyk's career, it also has given Minnesota new life in the Western Conference playoff race. The Wild, winners of nine of their last 11 games, enter Friday's game three out of playoff spot.
Although it's only been a little over a year since Dubnyk was traded out of Edmonton on Jan. 15, 2014, he already has faced his former club four times and is 4-0 with a .98 GAA in those tilts. He is expected to start tonight -- his 16th start in a row -- to face Edmonton for the second time in a Wild sweater. Dubnyk stopped 23-of-24 shots to anchor Minnesota's 2-1 win in Edmonton on Jan. 27.
The Wild are 1-1-0 on a three-game road trip, losing the first tilt in Vancouver before beating the Calgary Flames in overtime on Wednesday. Mikko Koivu scored 1:50 into OT to give Minnesota Wild a 3-2 victory at the Saddledome.
Marco Scandella passed the puck over to the right wing as he brought it into the Calgary zone for Charlie Coyle, who then dropped the puck back to Koivu. From the left circle, Koivu found the back of the net for the win.
Justin Fontaine and Matt Dumba also scored for the Wild, who have won three of four. Dubnyk allowed two goals on 37 shots.
"Even that one point, it's huge, especially against a team that we're chasing for the playoffs," said Koivu.
Minnesota is 13-14-2 as the visiting team this season.
The Oilers are last in the Western Conference, but they are 2-1-1 over their last four trips to the ice.
Edmonton opened a four-game homestand on Wednesday by beating the Boston Bruins, 4-3, in a shootout. Martin Marincin scored in the 12th round of the tiebreaker to lift the Oilers to victory.
Teddy Purcell had a goal and an assist in regulation, while Nail Yakupov and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored for the Oilers. Ben Scrivens stopped 38 shots in the win.
"You just try and stop each shot," Scrivens said of the lengthy shootout. "You just try and stay big, stay patient, watch the puck and give yourself a chance to stop it."
The Oilers are just 10-16-2 at Rexall Place this season and they have not fared well as the host against Minnesota in recent years. The Wild have won four straight and nine of the last 10 meetings in Edmonton.
Minnesota has taken three of four and seven of nine overall in the series.
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