Anybody who told you in mid-January that the Minnesota Wild would make the playoffs is a liar.
I don't think anyone (media, fans, even the players) could have predicted the amazing turnaround from the Wild in the second half this season. Because guess what? The Wild are in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
How did they get there? Ultimately they clinched a postseason berth with a 2-1 win Tuesday in Chicago. This came after a three-game losing streak and missed opportunities to clinch sooner. It seems like water under the bridge (what a difference a few hours makes...), but I know I wasn't the only fan nervous about this little slide.
Can they just make it easy for once? Maybe stop waiting for their backs to be up against the wall? They had a shot at trying to move up in the standings, but will likely take one of the wild card spots.
Now and then
Anyway, Tuesday's game was scoreless until late in the third period, when Mikael Granlund scored in a big moment with a great backhand move. Not long after, Jason Zucker scored a beauty that turned out to be the game winner. It was his first game back after missing a couple months with an injury. (Wild killer Bryan Bickell scored for the Blackhawks as time ticked down. And yeah, the grass is green and sky is blue.)
But that game is getting ahead of things just a tad. Let's rewind back to my Jan. 12 blog post, where I noted the Wild were "free falling." I was uncharacteristically harsh on the team, because at that point in the season, the Wild were in shambles.
They had just lost five straight games and held a 18-18-5 record. They'd gone through bouts with injuries, the flu, the mumps and heartache. The #FireYeo chatter got going again. Remember when coach Mike Yeo went on a tirade during practice in January? It almost doesn't even seem like the same season.
I called it one of the worst slumps in franchise history. I meant it. Now, this season seems to be the greatest comeback.
Best trade ever?
The Wild's amazing run started with a goaltender trade Jan. 14 when general manager Chuck Fletcher acquired Devan Dubnyk from Arizona for a third-round draft pick. And the rest is history. Duby was the answer to what was ailing the Wild. The trade ranks right up there in Minnesota sports history with the likes of the Twins getting Shannon Stewart in 2003.
In his 38 games with the Wild, Duby has racked up 27 wins, has a .938 save percentage, a 1.73 goals against average, was the first Wild player to be named the NHL First Star of the Week three times in a single season and set a franchise record for most consecutive starts.
Not bad at all.
Digging their way out
More than anything, I think a new face in the locker room gave the team some renewed energy. Plus, when you have a goaltender playing well, the guys in front of him play better, too. The tide started to turn, they started winning games and eventually dug themselves out of that deep hole.
The Wild were something like 14 points or so behind Chicago and very clearly out of the playoff picture earlier this season. With a postseason spot secured, the Wild sit at 45-27-8 with 98 points. The penalty kill is ranked first in the NHL, I believe (even if the power play is the complete opposite). They've won 11 straight games on the road, one away from a record set in 2005-06.
In my lengthy rant about everything that was wrong with the Wild, I challenged them to prove me wrong. (Because, I'm sure each player was reading.) This is what is so great about sports. Anything can happen, it's not over until it's over, that's why they play the games. All the cliches apply.
We'll worry about the postseason a little later. Right now, let's enjoy the comeback.
Because in January, no one saw this coming.
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