The Going’s Now Tough, but Wild Must Keep Going
Mar 13, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman
Ryan Suter(20) checks Anaheim Ducks forward
Corey Perry(10) to the ice during the third period at Xcel Energy Center. The Ducks defeated the Wild 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports
There was nothing shameful at all about the Minnesota Wild’s loss last night against the Anaheim Ducks.
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Yes, the game was at home. Still, Anaheim is one of the best teams in the National Hockey League. The Ducks are leading the Western Conference and are currently in position to win the President’s Trophy. More important than that though was the nature of the game itself last night. The Wild played well. In fact, they out-shot the Ducks 33 to 24 and controlled much of the play. Again, nothing to hang their heads about.
The problem is that moral victories are meaningless when a team is fighting tooth and nail to qualify for the playoffs. As fantastic as the Wild have been since acquiring Devan Dubnyk they are still far from guaranteed a spot in the Western Conference Playoff. At this moment the Wild are currently the top Wild Card team in the West but are only three points ahead of the Winnipeg Jets. There are many other teams log-jammed closely behind as well. The Arizona Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers are hopelessly out of the race but every other team in the Western Conference is still in the mix. It is imperative for the Wild to finish strong if they want to make the postseason.
The sledding gets no easier tonight. The Wild travel to St. Louis to take on the Blues. The Blues just so happen to be another one of the leaders in the Western Conference. Besides being good, the Blues are also on a bit of a hot streak. St. Louis has gone 6-3-1 in their last 10 games.
In order to get to the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup, a team must beat the best teams the NHL has to offer. I firmly believe that the Wild are one of the best teams in hockey but due to injury, illness and horrific goaltending earlier in the season they still find themselves stuck behind the eight ball. In that sense, the gauntlet the Wild have in front of them is a good test. For them to have a chance to win the Cup this spring, it is a test they must pass.
The Wild take on the Blues tonight at 7:00 on Fox Sports North. Let’s go, Wild!