Many did not expect the Minnesota Wild to defeat the Blackhawks. However, the team showed fight in the early games and dissipated as the series went on. Most could simply state that Chicago was the superior team in every facet heading into the series, but a number of other factors made Minnesota uncompetitive throughout. Here are reasons that Minnesota is headed to the golf course early.
Game 1 Loss
Minnesota shocked the world with their Game 1 performance. The team stymied the Blackhawks for 60 minutes and scored the series' first goal. Minnesota had a few prime opportunities to win in regulation and overtime, but ultimately failed to do so. The Blackhawks eventually earned the win and never looked back. The 3-2 win for Minnesota in Game 3 was the result of an adrenaline injection from playing at home, but the final two games of the series showed that it was nothing more than a speed bump for Chicago. Had the Wild won the first game, the series is a completely different one as the Blackhawks would likely questioning themselves after Game 1. Has anyone caught the Islanders-Penguins series? That is what happens when a team implodes at home early in the series.
Goaltending
Minnesota probably lost any remaining hopes of winning the series moment before it began. Nicklas Backstrom was the team's only reliable asset in goal and his injury in warm-ups before Game 1 forced Josh Harding to have to take on the tough role. He acquitted himself extremely well in throughout the series, but was constantly overwhelmed by the Blackhawks. Harding ended the series with a 2.94 GAA and a .911 save percentage.
Top Players Disappear
Cal Clutterbuck. Matt Cullen. Kyle Brodziak. Pierre-Marc Bouchard. Matt Scandela. Those were the top five scorers in this series for Minnesota, and they combined for a grand total of 11 points. Cullen led all Minnesota players with three points.
How about Ryan Suter, Zach Parise, Devin Setogouchi, and Mikko Koivu? The team's top players combined for two points in five games. Parise and Setogouchi each tallied once, while Koivu and Suter put up zero points. The top of Minnesota's lineup simply did not show up for this series and was manhandled by a superior Chicago side. Many expected these players to give Minnesota a chance in the series, but they failed when they were needed most.
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