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Total team effort Scrappy Wild don't look out of place in second roundPosted: Wednesday April 23, 2003 11:17 PM
I don't know what was more surprising: the defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings exiting via a sweep at the hands of the Mighty Ducks or the Wild dispatching the Avalanche after trailing the series 3-1. No matter how unexpected, Minnesota earned its way to the second round. Colorado did not hand it to them by any means. Granted, a lot had to go right in those final three games, but the Wild worked hard and intelligently to put themselves in position to capitalize. All of those elements will again have to align, and with the discipline with which they perform nightly, there is no good reason to think they won't. In addition, when you talk about capitalizing, the Wild personify the term, playing with passion and purpose and making the most of their opportunities. They have some fine young players, led by Marian Gaborik, Pascal Dupuis and defenseman Nick Schultz, all of whom contributed significantly in the upset of the Avs. Nevertheless, it is the group -- not just individuals -- that poses a unique challenge. Who do you focus on defensively other than Gaborik? The perplexing answer is everyone and no one. The Wild get contributions from everyone, yet nobody necessarily warrants special defensive consideration. So while the Wild will focus on the Canucks' top line of Todd Bertuzzi-Brendan Morrison-Markus Naslund -- arguably the best line in the game today and one that is coming off a defining three games to close out the Blues -- what becomes the role of the Canucks' checkers? This is what makes the Wild dangerous. They end up playing the opposition's checkers straight up and often capitalize on turnovers by guys looking to do more offensively than they are accustomed. Something the Wild is very accustomed to doing successfully is playing with the lead. They were the best in the NHL when leading after 40 minutes and when scoring first. That first goal is vital to their long-term success and becomes a point of emphasis. Canucks goaltender Dan Cloutier is coming off his first series win and is brimming with confidence. His challenge against the Wild is keeping them off the scoreboard initially, allowing his team to secure the lead and forcing Minnesota to play from a position of weakness. At the other end, the challenge for Manny Fernandez is similar. He entered the series midway through the first round and was brilliant. His task is to keep the Canucks scoreless until his teammates can stake him to a lead, which plays to the Wild's strengths. Fernandez did just that against the Avalanche, facing one of the top lines in all of hockey in the process. It turns out to be perfect training. The biggest difference in this series will be the physical play of the Canucks. Remember, they too erased a 3-1 series deficit to win in the first round. In their Game 7 victory over the Blues, the Canucks took to the body with exactly the right amount of discretion. The Wild must deal with the physical play, which isn't their desired style, preferring a positional skating approach. The other side of the body-checking equation is that the Canucks can't run out of position to lower the boom -- an aspect that cost the Avs dearly. Furthermore, the hitting can't lead to penalties, which was problematic for the Canucks early against the Blues. Remember, the defining trait of this Wild team is their ability to capitalize. Nowhere is that more prevalent than on their power play, where Andrew Brunette and Co. have a knack for getting even the most meaningful of ways -- on the big board. Darren Eliot, a former NHL goaltender, is a hockey analyst for SI.com. Eliot will provide Stanley Cup Playoffs commentary throughout the postseason and is also broadcasting games for NHL Radio. |
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