Wild To Start Bryzgalov In Goal Against Blackhawks
Ilya Bryzgalov will start in goal for the Minnesota Wild in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Chicago Blackhawks.
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Ilya Bryzgalov will start in goal for the Minnesota Wild in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Chicago Blackhawks.
After a thrilling overtime win Wednesday night against the Colorado Avalanche, hockey fans have been rushing to get their hands on anything with a Wild logo on it. "This city is pumped. I mean this state's pumped. We are ready to go," said Corey Reding, one of many fans with an arm-full of merchandise Friday at The Hockey Lodge inside the Xcel Center.
His name is difficult to pronounce, but it's sure been muttered a lot the last couple days. That's what happens when you score a game winner in Game 7.
As you know by now, the Minnesota Wild won their first playoff series in 11 years, defeating the Colorado Avalanche in seven games to move on to the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
As the NHL playoffs heat up for the Minnesota Wild, so too are the stakes rising between the Twin Cities and Chicago. On Friday, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman challenged Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to a friendly bet on the second round series between the Wild and the Chicago Blackhawks.
If you didn't know any better, you'd think it was the athletes doing all the work in Thursday night's Wild-Avalanche Game 7. But plenty of fans had increased heart rates, higher blood pressure and sweaty palms – and those were the people that weren't jumping up and down.
One Minnesota Wild fan has been getting a lot of buzz on social media for her passionate support of the team during game six. Cameras caught the so-called "Lady in Pink" banging on the glass and using some choice words after she saw Charlie Coyle get punched in the face.
Patrick Sharp thought the Chicago Blackhawks were going to play the Colorado Avalanche. Then he thought they were going to play the Minnesota Wild. Then he thought they were going to play the Avs again, and on and on it went. While the Wild and Avalanche played an epic Game 7 on Wednesday night, the Blackhawks were hanging on every goal.
In Game 6 of the series versus Colorado, the best players for the Minnesota Wild proved to be just that. Zach Parise had a four-point night (2G, 2A) including the game-winning goal. Mikko Koivu and Ryan Suter added two assists as Minnesota defeated Colorado 5-2 to even the series at 3-3, forcing Game 7 in Denver.
The Minnesota Wild are a little weary and worn out after winning a grueling seven-game series. There's no time to rest, though. Not with the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks waiting on deck.
If you stayed up late to watch the Minnesota Wild face the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it was well worth it. Jared Spurgeon scored late in regulation to tie it 4-4 and send the game to overtime, and about five minutes into the extra session Nino Neiderreiter scored to send the Wild to the Western Conference semifinals.
Nino Niederreiter scored his second goal of the game 5:02 into overtime and Ilya Bryzgalov made a big save filling in for an injured Darcy Kuemper, leading the Minnesota Wild to a 5-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 on Wednesday night.
The Minnesota Wild is just one win away from advancing to the next round in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The team is in Denver Wednesday, preparing to take on the Colorado Avalanche in a decisive Game 7.
Patrick Roy was quite calm and even cracked a few jokes as his team went through a light workout. No signs of stress at all. Of course, the first-year Colorado Avalanche coach has been in a few pressure-packed Game 7 situations as a Hall of Fame goaltender — 13 to be exact.
Mikael Granlund is the soft spoken, high-profile number-one pick who's putting up numbers for the Minnesota Wild. He has thrived this play-off series, and maybe because he loves the play offs.
