3 of a kind: Wild still can't find a way to crack the Hawks
This is not how it was supposed to go down.
Entering their second-round series against the Blackhawks, the Wild were riding high with confidence, and were poised to give the team that ended their last two playoff runs a taste of their own medicine.
Over the season’s final three months, the Wild played arguably the best hockey of any team in the NHL, going 28-6-2 since January 14 when the team acquired goalie Devan Dubnyk from the Coyotes.
However, despite the Wild’s convincing series win over the Blues in the first round, Dubnyk hasn’t displayed the same levels of dominance during the postseason as he did over the regular season’s final three months.
And boy, have the Hawks made him pay.
Game 1 against the Blackhawks saw Dubnyk surrender three goals in the first period, which led to a series-opening 4-3 loss despite an impressive comeback by the Wild, and things haven’t gotten any better as the series has progressed.
Losses in Games 2 and 3 now have the Wild on the brink of elimination, and the once boisterous Minnesota fan base now cowers at the thought of the Blackhawks sending their team packing for the third consecutive year.
Unless the Wild can find a way to make history and come back to win the next four games, they’ll be left to reassess their team as they watch public enemy #1 make another run at the Cup.
So what are the Wild to do?
The Wild have built a solid core of young players, but their inability to beat the Blackhawks is an issue that will have to be addressed at some point by their front office and coaching staff. I'd be lying if I told you I had their answer, but what I do know is the extensive amount of time that Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have left in this league does not bode well for the well-being of the rest of the Western Conference, namely the Central Division.
If the Hawks go on to close out this series, it will mark the third consecutive season that they have reached the Western Conference Finals, but talks of a ‘dynasty’ are about the last thing the Wild faithful want to hear as they get set to make another early playoff exit with their tails between their legs. It's o.k Minnesota, no one can has proven they can beat these guys.
Photo Credit: Nam Y. Huh/AP Images
