 |
| Devan Dubnyk, Springfield Falcon, Canadian ice hockey goaltender (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
We say "improbable" because before the middle of January, the Wild were so bad that they were one of the worst teams in hockey. No direction. Lousy goaltending. Miles from a playoff spot. Even coach Mike Yeo's YouTube-worthy meltdown couldn't move the needle.
Everything changed the moment Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher swung a trade with the Arizona Coyotes for Devan Dubnyk, a heretofore unheralded goaltender who had been bouncing around pro hockey until now. Dubnyk started nearly every game since then, and did so well that few seem to remember the problem-filled tandem of Darcy Kuemper and Niklas Backstrom from earlier in the season.
The rest of the Wild soon picked up on the newfound stability in goal and started winning games, making a dramatic run past other borderline Western Conference teams to get into the playoffs as a wild card. For three and a half months, the Wild and Dubnyk were the talk of the NHL. There was even speculation that they could be Stanley Cup contenders. Seriously.
After taking care of the Blues in the first round, everything fell apart when the Wild faced the Blackhawks in the second. Not only were the Wild eliminated by the team from Chicago for the third consecutive year, but it was done in four games. They were shut out in eight of 12 periods. A reminder that for all the strides the Wild had made during the season, they never really were Stanley Cup material.
Wild owner Craig Leipold had built this team on high-priced free agent signings--Zach Parise, Thomas Vanek, Ryan Suter and anyone else who had anything to do with Minnesota hockey. None of them made a dent in the Chicago series. And Dubnyk was exposed for what he really was, a journeyman goalie who happened to peak at the right time.
The Blackhawks, meanwhile, have Patrick Kane, Johnathan Toews, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp--NHL All Stars who have plenty of experience in winning playoff rounds and Stanley Cups. And the way the conferences and playoffs are now set up, they could be dominant for years to come. So no matter how much money Leipold spends on free agents (Minnesota connection or not), the Wild will still be looking up at the Blackhawks.
Before next season, the Wild need to reassess their issues involving scoring and goaltending. Dubnyk was a great short-term solution, but that doesn't mean the Wild can't go after some more experienced netminder who doesn't need seasoning in Des Moines.
Maybe by then, the Wild will have figured out a way to be more competitive in the playoffs against the Blackhawks. But don't hold your breath. The Twins are still trying to figure out how to get past the New York Yankees in the baseball playoffs.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our projected Stanley Cup Final matchup: Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals.
No comments:
Post a Comment