You’d need to be delusional to deny that the Minnesota Wild are in a tough spot after Friday’s loss.
They’re now down 2-0 in their first-round series against the Blues, and with both defeats at home, it means they need to get back into this bout with Games 3 and 4 in St. Louis.
Jake Allen’s been playing at an absolutely elite level, going on one of those tears that can really frustrate a team. The Wild, for their part, are at least saying the right things.
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“This series is long from over,” Chris Stewart said. “There’s no quit in this locker room.”
That doesn’t mean that there’s no room for improvement. After generating a massive advantage in shots on goal in Game 1, chances were fairly even on Saturday, with the Blues getting a late goal to win 2-1.
Zach Parise has, essentially, been the only player who’s been able to beat Allen, an unusual sign for a Wild team that’s enjoyed deploying waves of attackers during their best moments. At least they know that they need to ramp things up.
Suter: "We have to dig deep and find out what we're made of...we've got to be better." #mnwild
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) April 15, 2017
A playoff series can get away from you fast, particularly after burning home games. The Wild are at least making the right statements about showing urgency, but we’ll find out what they’re “made of” soon enough.