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Wild Blog: Wild Vs. Blackhawks Potential Start Times

by Craig D. Schroepfer, @CDSWCCO

With the Minnesota Wild advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the most common question being asked isn't, "Is this the year we finally beat the Chicago Blackhawks?"

It's, "When does the series start?"

You can't blame Wild fans for being eager. After watching their team dispose of the Central Division champion St. Louis Blues in six games, the last thing any Wild fan wants to do is wait.

According to Google, Minnesota is tentatively set to start its series in Chicago with Games 1 and 2 being played on Wednesday and Friday.

I say tentatively because there are a couple of scenarios in the NHL and NBA playoffs Monday night that will determine when the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin.

The NBA? In a Minnesota Wild blog?  I'll explain in a bit, but first let's look at the Monday night Stanley Cup playoff games to get a good indication of where things stand.

The New York Islanders play the Washington Capitals, while the Detroit Red Wings host the Tampa Bay Lightning.

For the Islanders and the Capitals this is Game 7. Regardless of what happens in this game, the series is over with Monday night. For Detroit and Tampa, however, that isn't the case.

If the Red Wings win, they win the series 4-2, meaning the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs could start as early as this Wednesday. However, if Tampa was to win, that would mean a Game 7 in Tampa on Wednesday night.

The NHL rarely, if ever, starts the next round of the playoffs before the previous round is finished. If Detroit and Tampa would go to a seventh game then the next round would start on Thursday at the earliest.

I mentioned the NBA playoffs earlier in this blog and that is because there is one series going on right now that directly impacts the Wild and the Blackhawks.

Monday night, the Chicago Bulls host the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 of their playoff series. If Chicago wins, the series is over and the Bulls move onto the next round. I mention this because Game 7 of this series, if necessary, is set for Saturday at the United Center.

If the Bucks and the Bulls go the distance, then Minnesota versus Chicago would most likely have the first two games of their series on Friday and Sunday as the United Center currently isn't booked at the moment.

If the Bulls do finish off the series against Milwaukee Monday night, then it's probable that Minnesota wouldn't play Game 1 against Chicago until Saturday for this reason: NBC has a TV window to show a Stanley Cup Playoff game Saturday afternoon before the Kentucky Derby. The only problem is the three other teams that are hosting Games 1 and 2 in their respective series all have arena conflicts on Saturday.

Montreal is hosting a Def Leppard concert at Bell Centre, while the Honda Center in Anaheim is the stop for New Kids On The Block, TLC and Nelly. Madison Square Garden is set to host Eric Clapton for two nights, with the understanding that the Saturday concert could be rescheduled if needed.

If the Bulls wrap up their series against Milwaukee Monday night, then United Center would be the only of the four arenas without a conflict Saturday afternoon, meaning Minnesota versus Chicago would happen then.

Whether it would be Game 1 or 2 depends on this:  The NFL Draft is scheduled to be held in Chicago starting on Thursday night. Does the NHL want to put Wild versus Blackhawks head-to-head with round one of the NFL Draft taking place in the Windy City?

Anyway, these are the scenarios in play that factor when the series will start. Lucky for Wild fans, we'll have a better idea of where things stand on Tuesday morning.

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