WildHbcommunity: Sunday Matinee Game 2 Wild vs Blackhawks
We NEED these 3 to step up in Game 2!
Game 2 Minnesota Wild Matchup With Chicago Blackhawks at United Center
Round 2 –Wild vs. Blackhawks –(All times CT) Game 1 –BlackHawks 5 Wild 2 Game 2 –Sun., 5/4, at Chicago, 2 p.m. Game 3 –Tue., 5/6, at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Game 4 –Fri., 5/9, at Minnesota, TBA Game 5 (if necessary) –Sun., 5/11, at Chicago, TBA Game 6 (if necessary) –Tue., 5/13, at Minnesota, TBA Game 7 (if necessary) –Thurs., 5/15, at Chicago, TBA
Today the Minnesota Wild must find a way to solve Chicago Blackhawks netminder Corey Crawford in a near must win against the defending Stanley Cup Champions in game 2 of this best of 7 second round series. It is very easy to lose sight of how well the Wild played in game 1 because it got out of hand in the 3rd period but I think this team showed they can be effective against this loaded Blackhawks roster.
The Wild has to have Jason Pominville, Matthew Moulson, and Ilya Bryzgalov remedy their short comings for this team to get back on the side of right in this series. These three veterans were added specifically to supplement the Wild's young core and be veteran presences in the playoffs. So far this playoffs the young core has more than risen to the occasion while these veterans have left some to be desired to say these the least.
The elevation of the play of Kyle Brodziak, Dany Heatley, and Cody McCormick on the 4th line has done a lot to help shield Pominville and Moulson from criticism but if this Wild team has any chance of over taking the Blackhawks in this series to move this pair of 30-goal scorers need to produce right now beginning in this Sunday Matinee Game 2 in Chicago.
The Wild got a monumental goal fro Jared Spurgeon to tie it up in the last minutes of Game 7 versus Colorado which has gone along way to distract from the fact that he struggled mightily in that first round series as he was targeted by the Avs with punishing physical play. Beyond being unable to move opponents out from in front of the Wild net in that series he was exposed on the rush by 18 year old Rookie Winger Nathan Mackinnon.
Spurgeon was responsible from a ton of turnovers and soft dumps in that first round series and although he was in my opinion the best overall defensemen during the regular season for this team, he has been taken advantage of in these playoffs. Spurgeon had 3 of the 5 Chicago goals in Game 1 scored right in his face and that has to be fixed in Game 2. The strength of Spurgeon is his skating and great stick work in the defensive end which helps to combat his lack of ideal size and strength.
Spurgeon was moved off the top pairing with Ryan Suter in the Colorado series for Jonas Brodin and that could again take place in this series. In Game 1 though Brodin had as tough game as we have seen from him in a long time. Brodin's lack of body use in Game 1 caused him to reach with his stick and be responsible for penalties that put the Blackhawks on the power play where they capitalized. Brodin must be more physical in the defensive zone against this Blackhawks team that feature top tier veteran snipers.
Brodin is still just a young kid and it is easy to forget that his is still growing into his adult frame but after a fantastic rook year where his skating and passing saw him dazzle the NHL, he has taken a clear step back in year 2. Hopefully he responds here in game 2 with a strong defensive effort helping to eliminate Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp's opportunities.
If the Wild can get a victory in Chicago today it will go along way towards changing the short and long view of their chances to shock the world and eliminate the BlackHawks in this series. I think the players will come out with a sense of urgency to find the back of the net and dictate the play to this Chicago team. I think we all understand that Patrick Kane is just out of this world talented but that doesn't mean that this series is just over with before it started, rather it means this Wild team must together like they did against the wall in the Colorado series and take their destiny into their own hands.
Projected Lines and Pairings Game 2 Wild
Parise-Granlund-Pominville Moulson-Koivu-Coyle Fontaine-Haula-Niederreiter McCormick-Brodziak-Heatley
Suter- Brodin…¨ Spurgeon-Scandella…¨ Prosser-Stoner
Bryzgalov Curry
Chicago
Bickell-Toews-Hossa Sharp-Smith-Kane Saad-Kruger-Morin Bollig-Handzus-Nordstrom
Keith-Seabrook Oduya-Hjalmarsson Leddy-Rozsival
Crawford Raanta
Individual Leaders Minnesota Wild Chicago Blackhawks Points: Z. PARISE (11),K. BRODZIAK (6),D. HEATLEY (6) P. KANE (8),J. TOEWS (8),B. SEABROOK (8) Goals: Z. PARISE (3),K. BRODZIAK (3),C. COYLE (3) P. KANE (5),B. BICKELL (4),J. TOEWS (3) Assists: Z. PARISE (8),D. HEATLEY (5),M. KOIVU (5) B. SEABROOK (6),D. KEITH (5),J. TOEWS (5) PP Goals: R. SUTER (1),Z. PARISE (1),C. COYLE (1) M. HOSSA (1),B. SEABROOK (1),B. BICKELL (1) SH Goals: M. SCANDELLA (1) GW Goals: Z. PARISE (1),C. COYLE (1),M. GRANLUND (1) J. TOEWS (3),P. KANE (2) 3+ Goals: PIM: C. STONER (20),C. MCCORMICK (14),N. PROSSER (12) B. SEABROOK (15),B. BOLLIG (12),P. KANE (8) Shots: Z. PARISE (33),R. SUTER (26),M. KOIVU (22) M. HOSSA (34),P. SHARP (27),B. BICKELL (21) +/-: D. HEATLEY (+6),M. GRANLUND (+4),C. STONER (+3) P. KANE (+8),D. KEITH (+6),J. TOEWS (+5)
Just My Take, Tony Dean Follow Me on Twitter @TonyDeanTHW Also Like the WildHBcommunity of FaceBook here: WildHBCommunity on FaceBook