NHL offseasons often reveal one or two teams that make the biggest proverbial splashes in an attempt to launch their franchise into the upper echelon of Stanley Cup contenders. It has been noted hundreds of times that the team that made the biggest buys in the summer of 2012 was the Minnesota Wild. Identical 13-year, ...
Perhaps the Minnesota Wild’s first round exit at the hands of the President’s Trophy winning Chicago Blackhawks last week in five games was simply inevitable. It was definitely a ‘positive step’ for a franchise building for the future and one that was playing its first playoff hockey since 2008. However, losing the series quickly with ...
Niklas Backstrom, Josh Harding and Darcy Kuemper probably won’t decide who starts, who is on the bench and who is in the press box in Thursday night’s Game 5 against the Chicago Blackhawks by racing for empty chairs. The reality is perhaps more concerning. It may simply be decided by whoever is physically able to play ...
The Minnesota Wild enter tonight’s Game 4 match-up against the Chicago Blackhawks full of optimism after Jason Zucker’s overtime strike made it a 2-1 series on Sunday afternoon. While Josh Harding’s heroics and improved play from the Wild’s top line have been widely credited for the Game 3 success, one factor that shouldn’t be forgotten ...
It has been, dare I say, a wild beginning to the Minnesota/Chicago first round playoff series. Niklas Backstrom’s freak lower-body injury during warm ups prior to Game 1 seemed to spell doom for Minnesota, but Josh Harding has performed admirably after being pressed into duty. Throughout the season, a Wild offense that has starved for ...
The Minnesota Wild fell into a 2-0 hole with a 5-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 2 on Friday night. After playing a tough and tight opening game, the Wild looked out-paced and out-matched by a deep and high-powered Blackhawks’ line-up. The series switches to St. Paul and the Xcel Energy Center today ...
One fact was pretty clear before the start of the Minnesota Wild’s first round series against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Wild would need their rookies to step up and be counted in their first ever playoff action. That fact was only reinforced after Minnesota were edged out 2-1 in overtime in a fascinating and tightly ...
I will try and refrain from opinion and stick to fact. Below is a comparison of both teams. SEASON SERIES — The Blackhawks did well against Minnesota this year, taking the season series 2-0-1 and outscoring the Wild 8-6, including a 1-0 shutout with Ray Emery in net.Marian Hossa scored both game-winning goals for the Blackhawks, while Matt Cullen scored ...
The 2013 NHL playoffs are set to kick off on Tuesday night with the President’s Trophy winning, and top seed in the Western conference, Chicago Blackhawks taking on the eighth seeded Minnesota Wild. The Wild only secured their postseason place thanks a 3-1 road victory over the Colorado Avalanche on the final day of the ...
Pre-season projection: Playoff team Final team record: 26-19-3 (8th in Western Conference) Flip a coin. The Minnesota Wild made the playoffs for the first time in five years; they almost played themselves out with a 5-6-1 finish, blowing their shot at the division. They scratched out critical season-ending tilts with the Los Angeles Kings and ...
