Minnesota will probably be without Matt Moulson for the first time this postseason on Friday night, as he’s unlikely to dress for Game 4 versus Chicago with a lower-body injury.
Head coach Mike Yeo addressed the situation on Thursday, saying Moulson had been dealing with the injury for a while. The 30-year-old winger has been something of a disappointment this postseason, scoring just three points in 10 games, but did register an assist on Erik Haula’s game-winner in Game 3 and notched two points in the final three games of the Colorado series.
With Moulson out, Matt Cooke’s return to the lineup is all but inevitable. Cooke is eligible to return from his seven-game suspension for kneeing Tyson Barrie, and Wild GM Chuck Fletcher indicated Cooke will be back in on Friday.
“That’s up to the coaches, but I’m sure he’ll be put right back in the lineup,” Fletcher said, per the Star-Tribune. “He’s one of our top checkers and one of our top penalty killers.
“Certainly against a team like Chicago, his speed, his experience and his ability to help shut down top players, I think, would be most welcome by the coaching staff.”