Posted by In the end, it was just too little, too late.
In the end, the first great (tragic) hero in franchise history was alone on the ice, waving to the crowd, basking in their affection and saying – without saying – that he’s un-hitching his horse and a-movin’ on.
In the end, it sure sounded like the end for the brilliant head coach whose self-professed inability to get through to the modern player on a consistent basis appears as if it will signal the start of his retirement.
In the end, fans were treated to the spectacle of the most goals in a home game (8, including 2 ENG) by the good guys, and then watched in frustrated resignation as first St. Louis and then Anaheim failed to comply to let the Wild pull off what would have been an amazing feat in making the playoffs.
In the end, the team and its fans are left wondering “what if” that 0-for-10 power play effort against Montreal (in a 1-0 loss), or the blown 3-0 lead in the 5-3 loss to Ottawa, or the blown 3-1 lead after 2 periods in a 4-3 loss to Dallas, or the 0-3-1 record against the Kings, or the fact that the last two games were the team’s first two-game regulation winning streak since Barak Obama was sworn in as the President of the United States was the one thing that derailed the Wild’s defense of their first Northwest Division championship. In the end, we know it wasn’t any one thing. It was all of them.
Minnesotans in general, and Minnesotan sports fans in particular, are not a people that are given to getting too exercised in the face of adversity. Stuff just rolls off our back.
But, with a struggling economy, higher taxes, new ball parks and football fields about to be unveiled, and a healthy dose of good hockey in the college and high school ranks available for a fraction of the cost of this NHL product, one wonders if Minnesotans will start showing their dissatisfaction in the passive-yet-effective manner of just not showing up?
So begins a critical off-season in Wild franchise history.
Some Other Articles That You May Enjoy:
Lemaire Leaving Wild
As Spring Turns To Summer, Wild House Cleaning Continues
Wild Fires Risebrough? (Unconfirmed)
Minnesota Wild
Wild Still Kicking…Barely
Wild Unraveling At The Seams
We hope you enjoyed this post. As always, leaving a comment below is both appreciated and encouraged. Thanks!
