Wild look to complete rare 4-game comeback vs. Blues
Down 3-0 to the St. Louis Blues, the task of battling all the way back and winning four straight to steal back the series seemed daunting for the Minnesota Wild.
Only four teams in NHL history have done it, including the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers and the 2014 Los Angeles Kings.
But after the Wild fought their way to a road win in Game 4 and brought the series to 3-1, a comeback suddenly seems plausible.
Because while just 28 teams have battled back and won after falling behind 3-1, a two-game deficit is pretty familiar territory for the Wild.
They've done it twice.
Minnesota magical run to the 2003 Western Conference Finals started with a pair of big comebacks.
The Wild fell behind 3-1 to goaltender Patrick Roy and the Colorado Avalanche in the first round, before rattling off three straight victories, winning Game 6 and Game 7 in overtime to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals.
2003 Western Conference Quarterfinals
G1: Wild 4, Avalanche 2
G2: Avalanche 3, Wild 2
G3: Avalanche 3, Wild 0
G4: Avalanche 3, Wild 1
G5: Wild 3, Avalanche 2
G6: Wild 3, Avalanche 2 (OT)
G7: Wild 3, Avalance 2 (OT)
They did it again just a few days later, knocking off the Vancouver Canucks after falling behind 3-1 following an overtime loss in Game 4.
2003 Western Conference Semifinals
G1: Canucks 4, Wild 3 (OT)
G2: Wild 3, Canucks 2
G3: Canucks 3, Wild 2
G4: Canucks 3, Wild 2 (OT)
G5: Wild 7, Canucks 2
G6: Wild 5, Canucks 1
G7: Wild 4, Canucks 2
And while the Wild have been stymied so far by a hot goaltender, Jake Allen looked rattled in Game 4, allowing a soft goal to forward Charlie Coyle on a shot from the half-wall and surrendering a goal to Martin Hanzal from the top of the circles.
The schedule is also on their side.
The high seed in the series, the Wild will host Game 5 and Game 7, leaving just one road game left in the series.
Statistics courtesy of Hockey-Reference.com
