Wild Blog: The New Season, It's Playoff Time
I've heard a lot of Minnesota Wild fans talking about how the team "backed into the playoffs." I'm not one of those fans.
Yes, I would have loved to have seen the Wild take it to the San Jose Sharks Tuesday night at the X to secure their spot in the playoffs with a win at home. That would have been great, but bottom line is they are in the playoffs and that's all that matters.
There are a lot of other teams that didn't play well enough all season to get there. The Wild isn't one of them and for that, we should all be congratulating the team for weathering the storm and getting in. How they got there doesn't matter. How they play moving forward will. I know there are a lot of Minnesota fans out there that think the team doesn't have a chance. I am not one of those fans.
This team is full of players that want to succeed. It's full of players who want to make a run for the Stanley Cup. Players like Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise, Ryan Suter, Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek. These are guys that may not have that many chances left. They're the veterans in the locker room and it is up to them to rise to the occasion, play with a purpose and lead by example.
I wholeheartedly believe that once the playoffs begin you'll see the same Minnesota Wild team that swept the Chicago Blackhawks this season, including that 6-1 domination in the Stadium Series. So fans, let's all take a deep breath and get ready to cheer our team on in that first round of the playoffs.
Keep this is mind: It's not impossible to make a run after coming in the playoffs at the bottom. In 1992, the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins made the playoffs after finishing the regular season just seven games over .500, but in the playoffs it was on. The Pens survived a 7-game first round series versus Washington and went on a run to the finals, where they won the Cup by beating Chicago in four games.
In 2012, the Los Angeles Kings became the first No. 8 seed to win the Cup. They finished the regular season one game below .500, but made the playoffs and then made it count. The Kings lost only four games en route to their first Cup in franchise history. I'm not saying it'll be easy, but I am saying there's a chance and in the game of hockey that's all you need. Go Wild!
Oh and let's not forget that the Wild still have one final game to play in the regular season. They'll end the year at the X against Calgary on Saturday. Now you may remember on March 24, Calgary came to town and the Wild lit it up, scoring six goals to beat the Flames 6-2.
Another game like that and all that talk about "backing into the playoffs" will have been forgotten!
