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Sliding Wild take on lowly Sabres

Nov 13, 2014 - 4:00 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Minnesota Wild were hoping to have a pair of key pieces back in the lineup on Thursday night when they try to snap their losing streak in a matchup with the Buffalo Sabres.

They may have to settle for just one.

The Wild have been outscored 14-3 over a four-game slide and have played the last three contests without leading scorer Zach Parise because of a concussion. Defenseman Jared Spurgeon has sat out the past five contests as well due to an upper-body injury.

While both have been skating and traveling with the club, Parise is doubtful to return for this game while Spurgeon has a chance to play.

"You can certainly see by the way he's shooting the puck. He's looking like he's back to normal here," Wild head coach Mike Yeo said Wednesday on Minnesota's website of his defenseman. "We'll have a conversation afterwards, and see what he has to say to the trainers. Again, he's a guy we'd very much like to get in."

Parise has 10 points off four goals and six assists, while Spurgeon has notched six points in nine games from the blue line.

Minnesota saw its slide extended with Tuesday's 3-1 road setback to the New Jersey Devils. Ryan Carter scored shorthanded and Darcy Kuemper made 20 saves.

"We have to dig deep here. It's as simple as that," Wild head coach Mike Yeo said. "We're the only ones that are going to get ourselves out of this."

The Sabres also are skidding, with losses in four straight. They are just 3-12-2 on the season overall, having been held to a pair of goals or fewer in all but one of their 17 games.

That trend continued on Tuesday with a 6-1 setback to the St. Louis Blues. Tyler Ennis netted his team-leading fifth goal of the season and Michal Neuvirth yielded all six goals on 29 shots.

Buffalo held a 15-10 shot advantage after the first period and only trailed 1-0 before St. Louis broke the game open.

"We have to see what is working and what gave us success in that first period and put a full game together," Sabres captain Brian Gionta said.

The struggling Sabres will insert forward Patrick Kaleta into the lineup tonight. Kaleta has not played in an NHL game since Oct. 10, 2013, having suffered a knee injury last season in the American Hockey League and then sustaining a facial injury during the preseason on Sept. 28.

Kaleta was hit in the face by a slap shot and had to undergo surgery that included doctors inserting three plates and 14 screws into the right side of his face.

"I've been waiting to play my first real game for like 13 months now," Kaleta told Buffalo's website. "So whatever the team needs me to do to be a positive around here, I'll do it when I'm called upon. I'll do my best to contribute in a positive way."

Buffalo will be without defenseman Joss Gorges tonight due to a lower-body injury suffered on Tuesday.

The Wild won both of their meetings with the Sabres last season, but are just 2-3-2 against them all-time at home.

Kuemper has never faced the Sabres, while Jhonas Enroth will start in net for the Sabres. He has split two career starts against the Wild, giving up four goals on 46 shots faced.