The Minnesota Wild have already secured their spot in the playoffs. But they still have a little more work to do before heading into the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
That is to play their final two games of the season, both of which are against the St. Louis Blues.
This is probably not too much of a concern for the Wild, who have had a terrific season thus far. Plus, whether they win or lose, it won’t affect them. However, it is needless to say that they will want to finish off the season strong. That means getting some big wins.
Wild Has a Lot of Confidence
There’s no doubt that the Wild feel very confident that they will be able to complete the season off strong. They have a well-knit team that is playing tough right now.
Wild head coach Dean Evason believes his team is very focused. That definitely seems to be the case, as the Wild are 35-14-5 and have won three straight. They are third in the West Division, as well.
Despite the fact that the last two games of the season for the Wild are back-to-back, this doesn’t really seem to bother them. They are playing the Blues, who have played decent this season.
In addition, with these last two games at hand, the Blues have no opportunity to move up in the division standings even if they were to win both games.
For the Wild, these final games may seem like a piece of cake. They have played pretty good this season and have every reason to feel confident that they can defeat the Blues.
Preview of the Wild-Blue Series
The Wild have an important advantage going into this series. They have the chance of getting home-ice advantage. However, this all depends on how the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights cap off their seasons.
In terms of goalkeeping for the Wild, Cam Talbot will be playing in what is probably going to be his final two games of the season. His last few starts for the Wild haven’t been what the organization was looking for. Talbot has a .858 Sv%.
For the Blues, they have did their part to make it to where they are at this point in the season. They have struggled, but it appears that they have been trying to pull themselves up recently.
The team is 6-1-3 in their last 10 games and it looks as if Ryan O’Reilly has been the main star of the Blues’ roster. He has seven goals and 13 points, which is quite impressive to say the least.
Which Players Will Be On the Ice During the Playoffs?
This seems like the burning question a lot of Wild fans and hockey enthusiasts probably want answered. However, there’s nothing set in stone, at least not yet.
The Wild have two more games to complete before they make a concrete decision on exactly “who” will be on the ice during Game 1.
For instance, Zach Parise is a questionable option. He is a healthy scratch and brings good value to the team, especially regarding powerplays.
On the other hand, there are questions concerning Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. Additionally, there are questions on if Ryan Hartman or Victor Rask will be on the ice during the beginning of the playoffs. There could be an entirely different lineup than what may be expected.
Either way, there’s still ample time left for the Wild to make their final decision on who gets the start on opening night.
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