WildHBcommunity: Game 6 Show & Prove for MNWild
The Minnesota Wild Host Game Six Facing Elimination Tonight
The Minnesota Wild is facing elimination this evening from the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs after losing in overtime versus the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night at the Pepsi Center. The Wild must win tonight to keep alive their hopes of moving on to the second round of the playoffs. If the Wild is able to emerge victorious tonight, they play again in Colorado presumably Wednesday night.
This series has spiraled out of control for the Wild as they failed to earn a victory in Colorado despite controlling the play for the greater part of 4 of the 5 games played in this series. The Wild has proven to be the better team at even strength and the deeper team getting secondary scoring from their bottom 9 forwards. The Avalanche has excelled in the late situational 6 on 5 scenarios which has been a devastating flaw for the Wild in this series.
Game 6 of this series will need to be a statement game for this Wild squad as they have the weight of the world on their shoulders. Should this elimination game come down to another one goal advantage at the end of the third. If the Wild is going to defeat this Avalanche team in back to back games to include the deciding game in the Pepsi Center, they must elevate their play on the powerplay that has been atrocious.
Head Coach Mike Yeo talked about not losing their sense of urgency and I could not agree more. The Wild having been the better of these two teams for majority stretches in every contest except game 2 makes them facing elimination all the more puzzling. I have already expounded enough on the embarrassment that has been the NHL officiating (For Both Teams BUT in game deciding fashion against the Wild) so we will not go there. The players know they have left money and opportunities on the table in this one so tonight will have to be the Show & Prove moment us State of Hockey loyalist know they are capable of.
Before this series I held glowing opinions of Colorado’s young core and they have produced in this series. I also believe that this Avalanche team is definitely beatable and has afford the Wild too many opportunities to close out this series before getting to this back against the wall situation. Tonight I expect the Minnesota Wild to win and I have no doubt they will force Game 7.
The Avalanche and their fans have called us whiners, cheaters, and stated we have a victim’s mentality here in the State of Hockey. It’s time to prove to them that our squad is top to bottom better equipped to push on in the Western Conference. The best sound from the Avalanche fans shall be stunned silence and it is coming!
WILD Zach Parise - Mikael Granlund - Jason Pominville Matt Moulson - Mikko Koivu - Charlie Coyle Nino Niederreiter - Erik Haula - Justin Fontaine Dany Heatley - Kyle Brodziak - Cody McCormick
Ryan Suter - Jonas Brodin Marco Scandella - Jared Spurgeon Clayton Stoner - Nate Prosser
Darcy Kuemper Ilya Bryzgalov
Scratched: Jonathon Blum, Mike Rupp, Stephane Veilleux Injured: Niklas Backstrom (abdominal), Keith Ballard (groin), Josh Harding (illness), Jason Zucker (quad) Suspended: Matt Cooke
AVALANCHE Gabriel Landeskog - Paul Stastny - Nathan MacKinnon Ryan O'Reilly - Matt Duchene - PA Parenteau Jamie McGinn - Joey Hishon - Max Talbot Cody McLeod - Marc-Andre Cliche - Patrick Bordeleau
Jan Hejda - Erik Johnson Nate Guenin - Ryan Wilson Andre Benoit - Nick Holden
Semyon Varlamov Jean-Sebastien Giguere
Scratched: Reto Berra, Paul Carey, Stefan Elliott, Brad Malone Injured: Tyson Barrie (knee), John Mitchell (concussion), Cory Sarich (back), Alex Tanguay (hip)
Individual Leaders Colorado Avalanche Minnesota Wild Points: N. MACKINNON (10),P. STASTNY (8),G. LANDESKOG (4) Z. PARISE (6),C. COYLE (4),M. GRANLUND (3) Goals: P. STASTNY (3),G. LANDESKOG (3),R. O'REILLY (2) C. COYLE (3),K. BRODZIAK (2),R. SUTER (1) Assists: N. MACKINNON (8),P. STASTNY (5),J. MCGINN (2) Z. PARISE (5),M. KOIVU (3),J. POMINVILLE (3) PP Goals: P. STASTNY (1)R. SUTER (1),C. COYLE (1) SH Goals: C. MCLEOD (1) M. SCANDELLA (1) GW Goals: P. STASTNY (1),G. LANDESKOG (1),N. MACKINNON (1) C. COYLE (1),M. GRANLUND (1) 3+ Goals: PIM: C. MCLEOD (12),J. HEJDA (6),N. HOLDEN (6) C. MCCORMICK (14),C. STONER (8),M. COOKE (6) Shots: G. LANDESKOG (17),P. PARENTEAU (14),N. MACKINNON (13) Z. PARISE (22),R. SUTER (18),J. POMINVILLE (16) +/-: N. MACKINNON (+8),A. BENOIT (+6),N. HOLDEN (+5) D. HEATLEY (+2),N. PROSSER (+2),M. GRANLUND (+2)
Just My Take, Tony Dean Follow Me on Twitter @TonyDeanTHW Also Like the WildHBcommunity of FaceBook here: WildHBCommunity on FaceBook