Wild 2013: One Round and Done

Alternate logo since 2003. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Minnesota Wild's first Stanley Cup playoff appearance since 2008 ended Thursday night at the United Center in Chicago, where the Blackhawks quickly disposed of them in five games of the first round with a 5-1 victory.

The Wild finished 8th in the Western Conference standings during the abbreviated regular season, just barely getting in to the playoff dance.  They could have had a better position if they had played better down the stretch, instead of letting teams like the Edmonton Oilers run all over them on their home ice.

Instead, the Wild got the Blackhawks, the best team in the post-lockout NHL and a Stanley Cup favorite.  With the exception of Game 3, where they played their best game in an overtime win, the series was a microcosm of Minnesota's entire season.  The high-priced offense failed to show up at the most crucial time, and so did the goaltenders.  Niklas Backstrom injured himself just before Game 1.  Josh Harding, who doesn't use his MS as an excuse for how he plays (but national sportscasters were quite willing to point that out), gave a good account of himself--until he got injured, too.  Which brings us to Darcy Kuemper, a minor-league goalie clearly in over his head in a playoff situation.

Now that that's over, it should be noted that a 50-game season wasn't the true test of the Wild's ability to pull themselves up from their mediocrity.  You need a full season to truly evaluate the players you have, with a coast-to-coast schedule (which this year was mostly restricted to west of the Mississippi) and a few breaks in between.

The Wild, moving into a more travel-friendly division next season with teams like the Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues, might wish they were back in a weaker division with the likes of Edmonton and Calgary.  To compete with their new rivals, they need more of everything--more scoring, better defense and more consistent goaltending.  Fortunately for the Wild, owner Craig Leipold isn't afraid to spend money.

Mike Yeo should keep his job as Wild coach for at least another season, and so should general manager Chuck Fletcher.  But don't be surprised if Leipold decides to go in another direction before next season.

This may have been the first step in the Minnesota Wild's quest for a brighter future.  But the way they've been playing this past season, they've got a long way to go.