It’s the one that got away.
The Minnesota Wild had a two-goal lead heading into the third period of Thursday’s playoff game against the Colorado Avalanche, and came away with a 5-4 overtime loss. The Avalanche now lead the best-of-seven Western Conference quarter-final 1-0, thanks to a thrilling come-from-behind effort.
Paul Stastny scored the overtime winner, after tying the game with 14 seconds left in regulation time. And how about that 18-year-old rookie Nathan MacKinnon, who had a trio of assists in his Stanley Cup playoff debut?
Coughing up such a lead was a point lamented by Wild players afterward.
“We have to learn from it and learn that the game’s not over until it’s over and you have to finish the games,” said Minnesota defenseman Ryan Suter, as per Chad Graff of the Pioneer Press.
Parise:we were in the drivers seat. We can't let that happen. We've got to lock it down
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 18, 2014
The Wild also seem to have taken issue with a call that wasn’t made late in the third period.
Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson, racing back to keep the puck out of the open net, swatted the puck away but then crashed into the goal, knocking it off. Wild forward Matt Cooke fired the puck toward the net, but play had already been blown dead.
Refs didn't want to talk to Yeo/Suter about Johnson knocking net off or why faceoff was outside zone
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 18, 2014
Only way goal can be awarded in that situation was if refs felt Johnson deliberately knocked net off moorings.
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 18, 2014