Wild's Granlund On The Playoffs: 'It's Just Hockey'
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- You just get the feeling something special can happen when Mikael Granlund is on the ice.
That's because he has shown just enough of that to keep you watching and anticipating what that could mean in the playoffs.
Granlund understands the playoffs are the pinnacle, but he resists making too much of it.
"It's just hockey," Granlund said. "You need to get ready for every game."
But what Granlund has done is establish himself through his demeanor and his consistency.
"He's always been a guy that I've trusted," Coach Mike Yeo said. "A lot of the Finns that I've been around, there's a great pride in playing the game the right way at both ends of the rink."
Granlund has that rare something that you can't teach. It's an "it" factor. He can explode, he can do things with the puck – and because of that you can't help but believe his best days are still ahead of him.
The reason there is such optimism is simple -- he takes other people's game to another level.
"He's a player that makes everyone around him better, like the way he protects the puck and the way he distributes it," Wild forward Chris Stewart said. "He's really strong on the stick and on the skates."
And what he expects against the Blackhawks is right in his lane.
"It's going to be a speedy game for sure," Granlund said. "I think both teams are pretty built for speed."
The Wild face the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center Friday night. The puck drops at 8:30 p.m.
