I will let you know right of the bat – I do not think the Minnesota Wild should be in the playoffs right now. This team has scored fewer goals than it gave up and has had a fairly an unimpressive season. While the Wild was playing in the Southeast division of the West, you had Blue Jackets keeping pace in the mighty Central. Enjoying those games against Edmonton, Calgary, and Colorado should have helped secure a spot, but in April this team just fell apart and literally limped into the playoffs.
The Wild do not even look bad on paper, and seem to have the tools to succeed. At one point this year they were even challenging the mighty Vancouver for the division title. The issue here is consistency with finding ways to score goals. Last year it was a HUGE issue, and while Suter and Parise did help, it still feels like it is not enough.
So we take a team who everyone knows was lucky to beat the Jackets for the last spot, and consider the mountain they’re up against – the Chicago Blackhawks.
Chicago has two players who have over 20 goals, while the Wild have none. Chicago has 149 goals for, and the Wild 30 fewer (118). Chicago allowed 97 goals against this season. The Wild has allowed 125. We can pitt each team’s stats against one another all day and it is pretty much one-sided the entire way down. You have one team that has not only embodied success in the NHL, but also has dominated in such a consistent fashion. The other? Not so much.
Patrick Kane, Jonathon Toews, Marrian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, and so on and so on – the team is rock solid up and down. What has not been said about the Hawks? They have very likely been the most written and covered team this year. Last year’s bane was goaltending, but this year they have two goalies that had “career” years. Also, Berry “Mullet” Melrose has picked this team to win the Cup. So, the prediction is over..put a fork in it, right?
Well, not so fast you deep-dish-pizza-loving friend. Not so fast. Do the Wild have nothing going for them?
First, the Wild is a team that is full of talented and proud players. Parise willed the Devils and the crew last year to the Stanley Cup finals. This guy oozes leadership and played his heart out every single shift. He is leading the Wild in scoring and right behind him is another amazing player, Mikko Koivu.
Mikko Koivu and Suter are the only other players besides Parise to break the 30-point threshold. This could worry most and might be a disappointment to the Wild fans, but remember that those numbers will not matter anymore.
There is a reason why we play these games and do not hand over the Cup to the President’s Trophy winner. The Wild will have to change its power play tendencies and really hope that both Chicago goalies will have some sort of performance anxiety and extended mental lapse. Every single scoring opportunity will have to go in the Wild’s favor, because we all know the Hawks will score goals. Backstrom may stand on his head one, two, maybe three games..but he will not be able to steal this series.
Special teams are a must for the Wild, because they do not score many goals. Every man advantage opportunity gets multiplied and with Koivu, Parise, and Suter running the show they need to make sure to seal the deal as often as possible. It is obviously easier said than done, but Parise has tons of playoff experience and he has the opportunity to lead this Minnesota squad to find ways to win. Great players make those around them great too.
Who are we kidding? This is a really one-sided match-up. I am not going to lie. To find any glimmer of hope, one must use a magnifying glass to find little crumbs of light that are reasons for Wild to be able to win. Perhaps looking at Phoenix’s run in last year’s playoffs will give some hope. You have to think the Wild will try and hang on, and hang on some more, and hope to capitalize on those goaltending and Hawks mistakes. While Mike Smith was phenomenal, the Coyotes really did bend but did not break. The Wild has to do exactly that: excellent goaltending and timely scoring.
The pressure is on in Chicago. No one will be drinking happily there unless they see Toews lifting the cup. No doubt it has crossed the players’ mind and while once you skate all of the headlines disappear, but what happens when you are down by a goal? Maybe sticks get squeezed a bit tighter and if you are Crawford, the likely starter, last year was not exactly the perfect ending. Pressure is pressure, and whether it is mental pressure or media hype, when you are so good during the regular season pressure will follow.
So, the Wild would literally have to “steal” this series, while the Hawks just have to try and not lose it. It is a very different perspective from two cities who adore hockey. It is hard to overlook what the Hawks have and it is very hard to overlook their regular season record. No matter how much the playoffs are a different book, I will give my nod to the Hawks in five.
I can’t wait to see Cal Clutterbuck play in the playoffs. This one-man wrecking crew will be one of those role players that will need to be a factor for Wild to have a chance.
Here are what our other writers think:
Mitch Tierney: Chicago in 5: The Hawks are the clear favourite from the West, and although the Wild have some pieces, they are not good enough to stop the dominance.
Russell McKenzie: The Hawks have been dominant all season, and the Wild have been consistently inconsistent. Hawks in 5
Ben Kerr: Hawks in 5. Playoff experience again wins out. The Hawks just have too much talent to lose to Minnesota.
Game 1: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 8 p.m. Minnesota at Chicago NBCSN, CBC
Game 2: Friday, May 3, 2013 9:30 p.m. Minnesota at Chicago NBCSN, CBC
Game 3: Sunday, May 5, 2013 3 p.m. Chicago at Minnesota NBC, CBC
Game 4: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 9:30 p.m. Chicago at Minnesota NBCSN, CBC
Game 5: *Thursday, May 9, 2013 TBD Minnesota at Chicago CBC
Game 6: *Saturday, May 11, 2013 TBD Chicago at Minnesota CBC
Game 7: *Sunday, May 12, 2013 TBD Minnesota at Chicago CBC
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