Veterans Feel Good About Wild's Chances To Make Stanley Cup Run
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- Game one between the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues faces off at approximately 8:30 Wednesday night at sold out Xcel Center Center.
One great thing about the Stanley Cup Playoffs: There are about 50 different story lines that could change a series. For the Wild, one is a veteran who has been up and down all season.
There is a mostly unspoken undertone in the Wild's camp, that these veterans might not have many years to have this good of chance to win a Stanley Cup.
"We want to enjoy it. I mean I don't want to look at it at that point of view. I think the time for that is always when you look at the whole season," Mikko Koivu said.
He's not the only veteran trying to give this perspective. Jason Pominville could be one of those classic NHL X-factors. He's been up, he's been down and he's had the mumps. And right now, it feels pretty good.
Pominville has seen much this season, and that might make him playoff ready.
"I feel good. How can you not feel good when team has had success? Everyone individually has had success. It's been a fun year for everyone," Pominville said.
His game has been better, that creates confidence with him and his head coach.
"It's an exciting time. Players do things that they wouldn't normally do. They pay the price a lot more, they don't worry about anything other than winning and that's what makes going for this trophy the best thing in sports," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said.
See, this could be his final season with the Wild. An offseason buy out is possible, so he wants this spring to be memorable.
"You've got to make sure you take advantage of it and keep pushing in the same direction. These opportunities don't come that often so don't take it for granted," Pominville said.
