Wild Blog: Team Shows Resiliency, But Drop Game 1 To Chicago
The first period of Game 1 versus Chicago couldn't have started worse for the Minnesota Wild.
The Blackhawks had the Wild skating on its heels and the defense looked lost on the ice. It only took 1:15 before Brandon Saad scored to give Chicago a 1-0 lead.
The Blackhawks would add two more goals from Patrick Kane and Marcus Kruger, and had Minnesota staring at a 3-0 deficit when the period ended.
"I thought we had some rust early on and they were able to capitalize on it," coach Mike Yeo. "We weren't quite as strong on the puck and we weren't pressuring as hard as we normally do on the forecheck and finishing our checks. They have players that can make some one on one plays and we saw some of that."
In past years, a 3-0 deficit against a team like Chicago would have been difficult to come back from. The second period started out similar to the first with Chicago controlling the pace of play, and had the Wild once again skating on its heels.
However, Minnesota weathered that storm and showed that this was a different Wild team than in the two previous meetings in the playoffs, as they rallied to tie the game.
Jason Zucker scored first at 1:21 for Minnesota, firing a one-timer from Thomas Vanek to make it 3-1. Nearly four minutes later on the power play, Zach Parise found himself in front of the net and put a puck past Corey Crawford to bring the Wild within a goal.
At 9:30 of the second period, it would be Mikael Granlund who found himself besides Crawford, firing the puck past him to tie the game 3-3.
Minnesota had scored three goals in just over eight minutes to not only tie the game but stun the crowd at United Center.
"We woke up," defenseman Ryan Suter said. "They came out flying and we weren't really up to speed. Finally in the second period we got to playing the way we are capable of."
It looked like it would be tied 3-3 but with just under a minute to play in the second period, Blackhawks forward Teuvo Teravainen gave Chicago the lead once again as he threw the puck on net from alongside the boards. The puck went just above Devan Dubnyk's glove, off the post and into the net.
"I didn't pick up the puck until it was five, six feet in front of me," Dubnyk said. "That's why I kind of just waved at it and missed it. I didn't see it come off the guy's stick alongside the wall and I didn't pick it up. That's my job. My job is to get out and find a way to pick up the puck at all times. I didn't do it there and it cost me."
That would be the final goal of the game as Chicago went on to win 4-3 and take a 1-0 in the best of seven series.
Minnesota made their share of mistakes in Game 1, but Chicago showed as well that they are not perfect. The rally from 3-0 down should be a sign of encouragement for Wild fans as it shows that Minnesota can indeed play and skate with the Blackhawks.
"It's Game 1 of a seven games series, we have to be better," Suter said. "We have to leave this behind us, prepare for the next game on Sunday and be better."
Game 2 is set for Sunday night and the goal remains the same -- find a way to win in Chicago and come back to St. Paul tied 1-1 for Game 3.
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