WildHBcommunity:Must Win is MNWild’s Style Game 6 at the X
The Minnesota Wild let the Chicago Blackhawks off the Hook
When this Western Conference second round best of seven series returned to Chicago for Game 5, the Minnesota Wild was riding high having just defended their home ice to even the series. When Erik Haula went end to end to give the Wild a 1-0 lead at the United Center versus the Blackhawks it truly was a full swing of the momentum and confidence in this series.
The Blackhawks regrouped though and found a way to control the neutral zone and eventually grind out a 2-1 victory putting the Wild up against elimination on their home ice in Game 6 of this series. The Wild has found a way to overcome every challenge that has faced them this season but staring down the barrel of needing back to back victories against the defending Stanley Cup Champions appears to be nearly insurmountable.
I will never count this group out as they have made me eat my words this year when I have and own my bad takes but they let this Blackhawks team off the hook in Chicago and now require a miracle to advance. The players identified what went awry in Chicago, losing focus in that second period which lead to turnovers and play dominated by the Blackhawks allowing them to take back control of this series.
Surely we have all seen that the Wild is extremely capable of dictating the play to the Blackhawks and limiting their high powered offense but they must find a way to finish back to back elimination matchups against a team that requires very little opportunity to make you pay and if the Blackhawks play like they did at home in Game 5 this could be the last we see of our boys this season.
The neutral zone was dominated by the Blackhawks as they eliminated almost entirely the Wild’s ability to breakout from their own zone with mid-long range passes. That seems to be a weakness of the Wild lacking players capable of carrying the puck contested to generate offensive zone possession. I think Wild head coach Mike Yeo will have to adjust his team’s strategy tonight because they were stifled in Game 5 and they must remedy the issue this evening to keep themselves alive.
Lots of negativity was levied toward Yeo on social media for having the six players out there for that final shift that he did. It was clear the top line was gassed and had to come off the ice. I think putting Kyle Brodziak out there it was explained had to do with needing a right handed faceoff. I see where the coach was coming from putting the big bodies out there to attempt to fore check an opportunity away in reality in just didn’t come to fruition.
Tonight is going to be a war, the Wild have been perfect during this playoffs on their home ice while the Blackhawks are nearly unbeatable in elimination games dispatching opponents with a record of 11-2 since 2009. I am confident the Wild take this series to Game 7 in Chicago with a victory tonight.
I am also convinced I am the jinx as every game I have watched live in this playoffs they have lost and every game I have missed complete while it was occurring or listened to on the radio they have been victorious besides the OT Nino “KinghtRider… Niederreiter game winner which I defied the laws of physics to make it home from work to see! Suffice to say I will be catching this one on the radio to hear Wild win!
WIll the home crowd for the @MNWild feed them the energy needed to beat Chicago? Read: http://t.co/fe1IOzNgmS pic.twitter.com/4f0i0DG0aP
— NHL (@NHL) May 13, 2014SECOND LOOK: The #Finnesotan was flying in Game 3. Watch Erik Haula pot the GWG for @mnwild: http://t.co/Ywh87tmWjC pic.twitter.com/8LmLBUZU7I
— NHL (@NHL) May 7, 2014@DJJasonNagel @1500ESPNJudd Scandella, Spurgeon, Brodziak, Coyle, Heatley, Nino pic.twitter.com/xmjQCIDHdQ
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) May 12, 2014Projected Lineups for Game 4:
Wild
Parise-Granlund-Pominville Niederreiter-Koivu-Coyle Fontaine-Haula-Cooke McCormick-Brodziak-Heatley
Suter-Brodin Spurgeon-Scandella Ballard-Stoner
Bryzgalov Kuemper
Blackhawks
Versteeg-Toews-Bickell Saad-Kruger-Kane Sharp-Handzus-Hossa Nordstrom-Regin-Smith
Keith-Seabrook Oduya-Hjalmarsson Brookbank-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 –MIN 4, CHI 2 Game 5 –CHI 2, MIN 1 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