ESPN NHL

The Minnesota Wild are still looking for their first road win. Another injury to a key player could make attaining that elusive victory even more challenging in their next contest.

The Wild could be without forward Martin Havlat as they try to snap a three-game losing streak Friday night against the Edmonton Oilers.

Havlat is day to day with a groin injury he apparently suffered in Wednesday's 3-2 loss at Anaheim. The team's prized offseason acquisition, Havlat had 29 goals with 48 assists in 81 games for Chicago last season and already has one with four assists in the first of a seven-year deal with Minnesota (1-4-0).

If Havlat -- who has a history of injuries -- is unable to play, it will be another blow to the Wild, who have lost all four road contests and are already without gritty forward Cal Clutterbuck (ankle) and possibly veteran Petr Sykora (groin) for a second straight contest.

Eric Belanger and Andrew Brunette scored and Niklas Backstrom made 32 saves Wednesday for the Wild, who dropped to 0-3-0 on their five-game swing.

"We should have a lot of desperation and some urgency in our game, being 1-4," first-year Wild coach Todd Richards said.

Facing Edmonton (3-2-1) could help Minnesota, which went 4-2-0 against its Northwest Division rivals last season. The Wild snapped a four-game skid at Rexall Place on March 29 with a 3-2 win.

"We need to go out there and make a team earn it," Backstrom said. "Right now it seems like it's too easy for the other team. We need to play our basic game. Now, it seems like we're only doing it for 20 or 30 minutes, or every other shift.

Though Backstrom is 1-3-0 with a 3.01 goals-against average, he's dominated the Oilers, going 13-1-0 with a 1.69 GAA during his career.

Brunette has a team-leading four goals and two in his last three games versus the Oilers, who open a three-game homestand after losing 4-3 at Chicago on Wednesday.

Leading scorer Dustin Penner had a goal with an assist and Nikolai Khabibulin recorded 34 saves in his first game against his former team. Edmonton, however, mustered 19 shots.

"We weren't very good," said Oilers coach Pat Quinn, whose team has had five games decided by one goal. "The score was flattering for us."

Quinn hopes to see more out of his forwards when the Oilers return home where they are 2-1-1 this season. Edmonton has been outshot 197-143 through six games.

"I'm still at the stage of saying (these 12 forwards have) got to get better somehow, at least in the last game and a half." Quinn told the Oilers' official Web site.

Penner has three goals and four assists, but was held to one assist in six games against Minnesota last season.

Khabibulin is 2-2-1 with a 3.32 GAA in his first season with the Oilers and 3-7-2 with a 2.41 GAA against the Wild.