Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 2: Blackhawks vs. Wild
By Lauren Lapka
The Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild are set to meet in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild, another case of Stanley Cup Playoffs déjà vu. The Blackhawks have knocked the Wild out of the playoffs the past two seasons but, the Wild have been improving each year. This series will be a battle of the ages.
The Blackhawks are a young, fast team full of big name players. They’ve made the playoffs the past 7 seasons and won the Stanley Cup twice in three years. They’re no easy opponent. This is only Minnesota’s third year in a row making the playoffs. In their five meetings this regular season, Chicago came out on top 3-2. Both teams are a top five team in terms of goals per game this postseason. Chicagos averaging 3.17, Minnesota behind them with 2.83. They’re on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to shots per game. Chicago’s third with an average 34.7, Minnesota is dead last with an average 22.7. However, a strong offense won’t be enough for the Blackhawks. They need to get out of their defensive slump if they’re going to beat this hungry Wild team.
Chicago pulled starting goaltender Corey Crawford in Game 1 against the Predators after he gave up three goals in the first twelve shots of the game. Backup Scott Darling came in for period 2 and remained in the net for the rest of the series. Although Crawfords performance was subpar, he was not receiving much help from his defense. That has been the case for the past couple months. In the playoffs alone, Chicago is first in shots against per game with an average 38.7 and first in goals against with 21. If they can’t turn things around, Minnesota’s going to pounce.
Minnesota has one of the stronger defenses in the playoffs. They’re sitting in the bottom five of shots against and is right in the middle for goals against. They also have a lot of help from their goalie Devan Dubnyk. Since joining the team, he’s gone 27-9-2 with a .936 save percentage.
Next: Wild vs. Blackhawks: Series Breakdown