For the third year in a row, the Minnesota Wild will play in the postseason. The past two years the Chicago Blackhawks ended the Wild's run, in the first and second rounds, respectively. This year, the top-wild card Wild face Central Division Champion St. Louis Blues. Game one is Thursday night with an 8:30 p.m. (central) puck drop.
There's been much speculation over the past few weeks about a possible opponent for the Wild and who the best matchup would be. In such a tight and competitive conference like the West, it's best to let the chips fall and see what happens. The Wild had a chance at snagging the third spot instead of the wild card, but that wasn't meant to be.
Facing the Blues
So, it's off the St. Louis they'll go. The Wild better be prepared for a physical game. Over the past few seasons, I've watched as the Blues have thrown their weight around in the postseason. It's concerning as a Wild fan because I don't think this Minnesota team is extremely physical. They really need guys like Charlie Coyle and Chris Stewart to step up in this regard.
The Blues have a ton of talent, including Minnesota's own T.J. Oshie and David Backes, who know how to score and throw the heavy hits. Trust me, they won't be thinking about their Minnesota roots when they're on the ice. Then there's also Steve Ott in a blue sweater, a veteran tough guy that could cause problems for the Wild. Plenty of potential for physical play.
At the same time, the Wild should focus on their game, too. Try to avoid those crushing hits as best they can, and hit the Blues where it counts: on the scoreboard. Zach Parise needs to continue his scoring, Jason Zucker needs to use his speed to dodge opponents and drive the net and let's hope Mikael Granlund can recapture some of his postseason magic he had in 2014.
The tough thing, too, is that whenever the Wild players battled back this season, get physical and stand up for their teammates, it often results in one-sided penalties. Maybe that's my subjective bias, but it's just what I see. Officiating in the NHL is far from perfect or consistent (as we found out in last year's first-round series against Colorado), so let's say an opponent throws a big hit after the whistle or puts a Wild player in a headlock. The Wild might retaliate and end up on the penalty kill or have a 4-on-4 situation.
PP and PK will be key
Along with the physicality, special teams is another possible worry for the Wild. They're first in the NHL when it comes to the penalty kill, which is a big boost. However, their power play has struggled all season and ranks near the bottom of the barrel. Being able to score with the man advantage is magnified even more during the playoffs. The Wild did well on the power play last year in the playoffs, but the confidence isn't there this time around.
Whether the Wild can pump in some goals on the power play could make or break their series.
On the positive side, the Wild have potential for more games on the road than at home. That's not a bad thing for a team that's played much better on the road lately than it has at home. That bit about home ice advantage might not come into play.
It's still the playoffs; Wild's season is memorable
All analysis aside, we can't forget about how exciting the NHL playoffs are. It's fun to have so many good teams competing for the Stanley Cup, and it makes the outcomes really hard to predict. There's always more excitement with the playoffs, and players compare that first game to Christmas morning.
We can't forget what an amazing second half this Wild team has had, either. I touched on it in my last post, about how Devan Dubnyk came in and this team went on an improbable run to make the playoffs. They looked very down and out in mid-January before Duby put on a Wild sweater. This really will go down as one of the most remarkable trades and season comebacks in Minnesota sports history.
Still, I maintain what I said before the season started. If the Wild don't win two rounds in the playoffs, the season will be a disappointment. I think that's still true overall. But this season would obviously have been even more disappointing if the Wild didn't dig themselves out of that huge hole midseason.
The Wild have played the past couple months in desperation mode, as if they were already in the playoffs. This could work against them if they fade early on. Or, it could keep propelling them deeper into the postseason and toward a Stanley Cup.
My prediction: Wild beat the Blues in seven games. #Becauseitsthecup
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