WildHBcommunity: Wild Defending Home Ice in Game 4 Crucial to Cup Chances
Minnesota Wild Can Even Series With Victory at X in Game 4 TONIGHT!
What busy week in Minnesota for sports with the NFL Draft moving later into May and attempting to distract sports fans from the most important game of NHL hockey in the State of Hockey since 2003. This Wild team has obviously been counted out by just about everyone not affiliated with the team or a member of the fanbase. Honestly I think that has been an asset to them as they have proven that the only thing that is relevant in the minds of the players on this team is their belief in themselves.
I wrote about how differently this team seemed to carry themselves after Game 2 of the Avalanche series and that attitude and I guess I would label it TRUST in each other to respond and overcome with effort has carried them to this point. They MUST win tonight to set themselves up to win this series. I think they will get it done. As I wrote before Game 3 of this series here in MN, this series will be won by the Wild not because Ilya Bryzgalov raises his play to some super heroic level but rather his team mates commit themselves to playing 200 foot hockey and contesting every pass and shot against this dangerous & talented Blackhawks squad.
Neither of these teams are going to get wrapped up in physical play nonsense that the Avalanche and Blues fell victim to against each of these teams. Instead this is a skill versus skill series with the Blackhawks have World Class Snipers and Goal Scorers the likes maybe nobody can compete with. While the Wild's emphasis on World Class Grinders and Disruptive forwards with just enough offensive ability to break your heart in a tight game with a different hero each night has proven to be just enough to overcome.
The Wild has filtered down from Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise, and Ryan Suter a different view of winning hockey that has been viewed as Trap Hockey or Boring Hockey by the rest of the hockey world and even some of us State of Hockey residents. The thing that nobody will be able to question about how the Wild plays their brand of hockey is overcoming how GOOD the Blackhawks are and how much more SKILLED they are if the series returns to Chicago tied and eventually the Blackhawks succumb to the pressure of under producing with a best in the NHL scoring team.
Here is to hoping the Minnesota Wild continues to choke the life out of the Blackhawks high powered offensive attack. The Wild has to make good on the frustration mistakes that Chicago makes whether it be turnovers or power plays. Need to get on the board and out work this Blackhawks team that will surely be looking for a boost in their confidence and an opportunity to close out the Wild on their home ice in Game 5.
Shhh..... Dont Tell anybody about these guys either! Let the rest of the world learn on their own!
Projected Lineups for Game 4:
Wild
Parise-Granlund-Pominville Niederreiter-Koivu-Coyle Fontaine-Haula-Cooke McCormick-Brodziak-Heatley
Suter-Brodin Spurgeon-Scandella Ballard-Stoner
Bryzgalov Curry
Blackhawks
Smith-Toews-Bickell Saad-Kruger-Kane Sharp-Handzus-Hossa Bollig-Nordstrom-Morin
Keith-Seabrook Oduya-Hjalmarsson Rozsival-Leddy
Crawford Raata
Round 2 –Wild vs. Blackhawks –(All times CT) Game 1 –CHI 5, MIN 2 Game 2 –CHI 4, MIN 1 Game 3 –MIN 4, CHI 0 Game 4 –Fri., 5/9, at Minnesota, 8:30 p.m. NBCSN, TSN, KFAN 100.3 FM Game 5 –Sun., 5/11, at Chicago, TBA evening Game 6 (if necessary) –Tue., 5/13, at Minnesota, TBA Game 7 (if necessary) –Thurs., 5/15, at Chicago, TBA
Just My Take, Tony Dean Follow Me on Twitter @TonyDeanTHW Also Like the WildHBcommunity of FaceBook here: WildHBCommunity on FaceBook