Wild's Jacob Middleton: Assists in consecutive games
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Middleton logged an assist in Monday's 3-1 win over the Kings.
Middleton has a helper in each of the last two games following an eight-game point drought. The 28-year-old defenseman is up to 24 points through 79 outings, by far the best season of his career. He's added 145 hits, 158 blocked shots, 84 shots on net and PIM, though his minus-16 rating is one negative mark on an otherwise solid campaign for a stay-at-home blueliner.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Gets assist in win
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Middleton notched an assist in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Sharks.
Middleton snapped an eight-game point drought with the helper on a Matt Boldy goal in the first period. The 28-year-old Middleton has enjoyed a career year with 23 points, 84 shots on net, 157 blocked shots, 144 hits, 77 PIM and a minus-16 rating. He remains a fixture in a top-four role, though his usage is exclusively defensive in nature.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Ready to rock
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Middleton (upper body) will return to the lineup Sunday against Nashville, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic.
Middleton will be back alongside Brock Faber on the top pairing following a two-game absence. The 28-year-old Middleton has 20 points, 70 PIM, 69 shots on goal, 130 blocked shots and 127 hits over 62 games this season. Dakota Mermis will be a healthy scratch Sunday because of Middleton's return.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Out Friday
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Middleton (upper body) is not in Friday's lineup against Colorado, per the NHL's media site.
Middleton has now missed the last two games, though it appears to be a minor issue considering he was a game-time decision versus the Avalanche. The 28-year-old could return as early as Sunday against Nashville.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Out with upper-body injury
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Middleton (upper body) won't play Thursday versus the Coyotes.
Middleton will miss his first game of the season while tending to the injury. The 28-year-old defenseman has a career-high 20 points with 127 hits and 130 blocked shots over 62 outings this season. Dakota Mermis will take Middleton's place in the lineup.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Assists in consecutive games
Rotowire
Middleton posted an assist and three shots on goal in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Kraken.
Middleton has turned things around with a helper in each of the last two contests to break out of a 10-game slump. The tough defenseman had the secondary assist on Marcus Johansson's first-period marker. Middleton is up to 20 points, 64 shots on net, 119 hits, 121 blocked shots and a minus-8 rating through 58 appearances. Aside from the ugly plus-minus, he's on track for career-best marks across the board.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Snaps slump with helper
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Middleton provided an assist, logged three hits and went plus-2 in Friday's 4-2 win over the Oilers.
Middleton snapped a 10-game point drought with the helper. The 28-year-old defenseman had been surprisingly solid on offense earlier in the season -- he already has a career-high 19 points through 57 outings. Middleton tends to make his biggest contributions with physical play, racking up 120 blocked shots, 119 hits and 63 PIM while seeing top-four minutes.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Big three-point game in loss
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Middleton had a goal and two assists in a 7-3 loss to the Lightning on Thursday.
His goal was a chip-in late in the second period. Middleton has a strong 17 points, including 11 assists, in 44 games, and he could be poised to pad his pace a bit given Jared Spurgeon's season-ending hip surgery. Check your wire.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Registers assist
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Middleton posted an assist, four hits and three blocked shots in Friday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Flyers.
Middleton snapped a seven-game point drought when he set up Matt Boldy's third-period tally. The 28-year-old Middleton has 14 points through 41 appearances this season, putting him one shy of matching his career-best output from last season. He's added 68 hits, 95 blocked shots and 39 PIM in a top-four role, providing some bite on the blue line for the Wild.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Nets goal Monday
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Middleton recorded a goal in a 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh on Monday.
Middleton brought his seven-game scoring slump to an end. He has five goals and 11 points in 29 contests this season. The 27-year-old is an important part of the Wild's defense -- he entered Monday's action averaging 19:32 of ice time in 2023-24 -- but Middleton shouldn't be counted on to make regular offensive contributions.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Scores game-winning goal Thursday
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Middleton netted a goal in a 6-1 win over Nashville on Thursday.
Middleton's marker, which came midway through the first period, put Minnesota up 2-0 and proved to be the game-winner. That gives him four goals and 10 points in 21 contests this year. Middleton's offensive contributions have trickled in throughout the campaign -- he hasn't had a scoring streak of more than two games in 2023-24.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Strong effort despite loss
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Middleton scored on his only shot and blocked four shots in Sunday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs to wrap up the Global Series in Sweden.
Middleton added some excitement in Stockholm with his go-ahead goal in the third period, but the Leafs turned the tables and ended up victorious. While it's unreasonable to expect the second-pairing defenseman to maintain his gaudy shooting percentage (18.8), Middleton should have no trouble establishing new career highs offensively. He's up to three goals and six assists through 17 games, putting him six points shy of matching his output from 79 contests a year ago.
Wild's Jacob Middleton: Scores for second straight game
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Middleton found the back of the net in a 5-3 loss to New Jersey on Thursday.
It was Middleton's second straight game with a marker, which makes this the first goal-scoring streak of his career. He's up to two goals and seven points in 10 contests this season. Middleton has never been much of an offensive threat -- his career high in points is 15 -- and it seems unlikely the 27-year-old will maintain this level of production.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Nets first goal
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Middleton scored a goal on his lone shot in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Devils.
Middleton cut Minnesota's deficit to 4-3 late in the third period, setting up in the slot before sliding a wrist shot past Vitek Vanecek. While the goal was his first of the season, the 27-year-old Middleton has offered decent offensive production early in the year, tallying six points in nine games after he recorded just 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 79 contests last season. Middleton should continue to work in an expanded role on Minnesota's second pairing with both Jared Spurgeon (upper body) and Alex Goligoski (lower body) on long-term injured reserve.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Earns helper against Habs
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Middleton recorded an assist versus Montreal on Tuesday.
Middleton has helpers in back-to-back games, something he did just twice last season. The Alberta native put up a career-best 15 points last season and probably shouldn't be expected to produce much more than that this year.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Nets opening goal Monday
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Middleton scored a goal in Minnesota's 5-1 victory over Seattle on Monday.
Middleton snapped his 46-game goal-scoring slump. The 27-year-old isn't a major offensive contributor with three goals and 15 points in 71 outings this season. Middleton did set the tone Monday though, by opening the scoring late in the first period.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Returning Sunday
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Middleton (illness) will return to the lineup Sunday against the Capitals, per Dane Mizutani of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Middleton has missed Minneosta's last two contests with an illness. He'll return to a top-paring role alongside Jared Spurgeon. The 27-year-old Middleton has a career high of 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) and a plus-14 rating through 66 games this season.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Not playing Saturday
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Middleton (illness) will not play Saturday versus Boston, Joe Smith of The Athletic reports.
Middleton will miss his second straight game Saturday but could return Sunday versus Washington.The 27-year-old blueliner has two goals, 11 assists, 68 PIM. 95 hits and 124 blocked shots in 66 games.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Out Wednesday
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Middleton (illness) won't be in the lineup for Wednesday's game against St. Louis, per Joe Smith of The Athletic.
Middleton has been doing well recently, with three assists and a plus-6 rating over his last three outings. He has two goals and 13 points in 66 contests in 2022-23. With Middleton not playing Wednesday, Calen Addison will dress for the first time since March 2.
