The Pittsburgh Penguins (23-17-7) will battle the Minnesota Wild (22-23-5) for the second time this season on Friday, February 9, at 8:00 PM ET at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Penguins are slight favorites on the road, with a moneyline coming in at -120.

The Penguins have won their last two consecutive games and are now 2-3 in their last five overall. Their most recent success was a 3-0 shutout over the Winnipeg Jets.

Sidney Crosby is the face of their offense, as he leads with 51 points and 27 goals. In addition, they also use quality pick movement with Jake Guentzel leading with 28 assists.

The Penguins have an average of 2.96 goals per game and attempt 33.1 shots each match. They have successfully scored 22 power-play goals but conceded 26, resulting in a power play percentage of 14.1. If they struggle to take advantage of these opportunities, it could pose a vulnerability.

Defensively, they allow an average of 2.64 goals against, facing 30.2 shot attempts per game, indicating little margin for error compared to their offensive prowess. Nevertheless, their strong penalty kill percentage of 81.4 provides solid defense against the Wild.

The Wild were able to snap their two-game losing streak with a recent win. This was a 2-1 performance over the Chicago Blackhawks, which was a road win since being at home their last three games.

Their offense has several players that lead in respective categories. Kirill Kaprizov leads with 45 points, Joel Eriksson Ek with 21 goals, and Mats Zuccarello with 31 assists. Together, they will need a great offensive performance to find success.

The Wild are averaging 2.96 goals and launching 29.9 shots per game. On power plays, they have netted 34 goals while conceding 44, giving them a power play percentage of 20.5 and is potentially superior to the Penguins.

Their defense has shown variability, allowing 3.30 goals and facing 30.4 shots per game. Their penalty kill percentage stands at 73.8, which is marginally lower than the Penguins' and could make an impact in this game.

Bookmaker showcases the most recent NHL betting odds, with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a moneyline favorite (-120) to find success on the road. The last meeting between these two teams was a 4-3 showing in favor of the Penguins in December of last year.

The Penguins arguably have a slight edge coming into this game. While their offense hovers around 3.00 goals a game, they have consistently kept teams around 2.60 goals. They are also 10-9-4 on the road, while the Wild are 12-11-3 at home, making this a close matchup.