Minnesota Wild

Wild Clinch Playoff Spot in Embarrasing Fashion
March 26, 2017, 10:58 AM ET [13 Comments]
Dan Wallace
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Wild Game Day number 75
Wild Record (44-24-6 94 pts)
Road Record (20-13-5)

Opponent: Detroit Red Wings (29-32-12 70 pts)
Home Record (14-16-6)

Site: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI

Time: 11:30AM CT

TV: NBC

Last Season Results:
12/28 Red Wings 1 @ Wild 3
4/1 Wild 2 @ Red Wings 3

Last Result:
2/12 Red Wings 3 @ Wild 6

The Wild will say farewell to Joe Louis Arena today as they face the Red Wings for the final time in the old barn in Detroit. The Joe has been a house of horrors for many a Red Wing opponent and the Wild are no different having only won 9 out of 27 games the teams have played in the famed building.

The Red Wings 25 year playoff streak is coming to an end this season, while the Wild clinched their fifth consecutive playoff berth yesterday despite their loss, thanks to the Rangers 3-0 win over the Kings.

It is no secret that Bruce Boudreau is upset with the way his team is performing, calling it embarrassing yesterday in his post game press conference.

Hockey is a funny game in how good teams go into funks, where it seems that nothing goes right, for no apparent reason. Hockey is the ultimate team game that requires the players to work together in unison.

When teams go into slumps they tend to try too hard to be perfect and get away from the their game. The only way to get it back is by simplifying the approach starting in their own zone with strong defensive play and becoming harder to play against.

The difference between the last two Wild losses and the majority of their recent defeats is the fact that they are no longer generating as many shots and consequently the scoring chances are down dramatically as well.

That is where the alarm should be ringing loudly, as it shows that the Wild effort is lacking and that is cause for concern.

Like Boudreau said after the game, that it is up to the players at this point. They need to dig themselves out of this together as a collective unit.

The leadership is front and center and being called into question. The team that rolled through the first 3/4 of the season was a team unified and working together in every phase of the game. The bench was always upbeat with lots of chatter and players working in harmony. That has since left this group and the only way to get that back is internally.

The pieces are in place, now let's see how they pull themselves together and get after it, these last 8 games in preparation for the games that really matter.

It's always Hockey Day in the State of Hockey!

Let's Play Hockey!