The Minnesota Wild had a chance to clinch a playoff spot Friday in a game against the Edmonton Oilers, a team no longer in playoff contention.
The notion of a post-season berth quickly fell apart, as the Wild were trounced by the Oilers 6-1 on home ice. The Wild trailed by six goals after just 40 minutes, leaving fans to grow a little impatient.
“It was one of the weirdest games I’ve ever played in and obviously one of the most disappointing games I’ve ever been in,” Wild center Matt Cullen told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Bottom line, we got spanked in a game we absolutely needed to win.
“We have a Game 7 [Saturday]...This is where you show what you’re made of, this is what careers are made on and these are opportunities that you don’t get very often. ... It’s a Game 7 to get to the playoffs.”
The Wild’s impending Game 7 that Cullen referred to is Saturday on the road against the Colorado Avalanche, the bottom team in the Western Conference.
The Wild precariously hold the eighth seed in the West, with 53 points and are tied with the ninth-place Columbus Blue Jackets in points.
Both teams have one game remaining on their respective schedules.
Anyone thinking this will be an easy two points for the Wild - and, if so, how can you after what happened Friday? - best look at what the Avalanche have done on home ice.
The Avalanche have a record of 12-8-3 in front of the home fans. The Wild are 11-11-1 on the road.
The Blue Jackets are at home to face the Nashville Predators.