Wild Blog: Win And You're In
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Win and you're in. Sounds easy enough right? But when it comes to the Minnesota Wild it seems nothing is easy.
The Wild had a chance to clinch a playoff spot Monday night in front of a sell-out crowd at the Xcel Energy Center, but the team couldn't score and ended up getting shut out 2-0 by the Winnipeg Jets.
Now they'll have to go on the road and prove they deserve a shot at the playoffs by beating one of the top teams in the NHL.
They've got three games left against Chicago, Nashville and St. Louis, and all of them are going to be tough.
Let's start with Tuesday night's game in Chicago. I've been feeling really good about this game. The Wild are on a good run on the road, winning their last 10 in a row. They have no choice but to come out swinging.
I have to assume that Monday night's shutout didn't sit well with anyone, so I'm hoping they'll come into Chicago with something to prove, maybe a little angry. That's how I like to see my Wild team.
The most exciting news of the day is it looks like we could see Jason Zucker back on the ice for the Wild Tuesday night in Chicago. If that happens you can bet it will make a difference. He brings an energy and speed to the team that we haven't seen since he's been out with that broken collar bone.
Bottom line -- this team seems to thrive when they're in those "must win" types of games. So unlike a lot of Wild Fans, I'm feeling very good about Tuesday night's game and I'm ready for some playoff hockey at the X.
Go Wild! Win and you're in!