Follow JJ on Twitter @jaeckel!
So, it's not the Colorado Avalanche, as everyone assumed, that the Hawks will face in round 2 of the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs, but the Minnesota Wild—last year's first round opponent.
Full marks to the Wild for pulling off the Game 7 OT upset of the division champ Avalanche.
I'll have a complete preview tomorrow morning. But for now, here are some things to note.
The Hawks enter this series healthy and rested. The 6 game win in round 1 over St. Louis likely left some marks, but no real walking wounded.
The Wild are relying heavily on relative greenhorn Darcy Kuemper in net—over veteran Ilya Bryzgalov.
Otherwise, with the addition of Matt Moulson from the Islanders, and the subtraction of uber-pest Cal Clutterbuck, this is basically the same Wild club that the Hawks dispatched in 5 games last spring.
That said, this will be a more experienced and confident Wild club.
The Hawks rank 9th in the playoffs on the power play, Minnesota 10th. The Hawks, perhaps more importantly, are 1st on the penalty kill, a stat that was huge against St. Louis, and the Wild are 5th.
I'll have more tomorrow AM.
All for now,
JJ