WildHBcommunity: Game 3 Wild Need Momentum Swing NOW
Minnesota Wild Return to the X Down 2 Games to Defending Champs
I have to admit that I am as cynical a Minnesota sport fan as it gets and I have a tendency to get all doom and gloom when any of the major sports teams I follow here stumble or fall into familiar patterns. As such my takes can get off the rails and I have to own it when this team responds to adversity.
After 2 losses in Colorado during their first round series with the Avalanche, I had the feeling that all the hope surrounding this team about being a cup contender was just hype with no substance to it.
Then something remarkable happened with Mike Yeo’s squad as it returned to the Excel Energy Center in games 3 and 4. To hear Avalanche fans tell it, the turning point of that entire series was Matt Cooke’s ugly knee on defensemen Tyson Barrie but I think this roster rallied around each other and demanded more from themselves as they had proven was a key to rebounding from down times previously.
This entire 2013-14 NHL season for the Minnesota Wild has been a tale of elevated expectations and play leading to meltdowns that allowed insecurities and doubt to creep in and be infectious. What was so impressive about the Wild’s dismissal of the Avalanche was the emergence of their young forwards with the stakes the highest and the competition the greatest and the revitalization of bottom of the roster veterans left for dead because of their inability to contribute much of anything positive.
The Wild will have to play out of their minds for the rest of this series should they have any opportunity to dig themselves out of another 2 game deficit and move on to the Western Conference finals. The reality is that although the Wild played well in game 1 and 2 in Chicago, they had the Blackhawks provide them a clear example of why their current group has won 2 Stanley Cups and could be on their way to a third this year.
If the Wild is going to shock the world in this series they have to defend their home ice with wins in games 3 and 4 at the Excel Energy Center.
I have learned my lesson about this current group for the Wild and I will not commit myself to counting them out of anything but I just don’t believe that the Blackhawks will provide much of an opportunity to send them packing if the Wild is facing elimination before game 6 or 7.
I heard it said on the Radio today by WCCO’s Mark Rosen that the momentum gained by the huge moment of eliminating the Avalanche in game 7 had to propel this team into stealing game 1 of this series. I think that is so true about how I feel about what has transpired in this series.
The Wild saw its extended offensive possessions and impressive pressing attack come up short as they failed to solve Corey Crawford in Chicago during games 1 and 2. The Blackhawks extinguished the Wild by making good on their opportunities however limited to take a 2-0 lead in this series.
The killer instinct of the Blackhawks superstars has been the true difference maker in this series and if the Wild doesn’t find a way to limit power play chances and odd man rushes they will find themselves on the tee box rather than headed to the west coast. I just don’t think Josh Harding or Darcy Kuemper are coming to the rescue any time soon so all four forward lines and the three defensive pairings have to pick up Ilya Bryzgalov with near error-free hockey and a 200 foot effort from all five skaters.
Projected Lineups Game 3:
Wild Parise-Granlund-Pominville Niederreiter-Koivu-Coyle Fontaine-Haula-Moulson McCormick-Brodziak-Heatley
Suter- Brodin…¨ Spurgeon-Scandella…¨ Ballard-Stoner
Bryzgalov Curry
Chicago
Bickell-Toews-Hossa Sharp-Smith-Kane Saad-Kruger-Morin Bollig-Handzus-Nordstrom
Keith-Seabrook Oduya-Hjalmarsson Leddy-Rozsival
Crawford Raanta
Just My Take, Tony Dean Follow Me on Twitter @TonyDeanTHW Also Like the WildHBcommunity of FaceBook here: WildHBCommunity on FaceBook