Devan Dubnyk too much for the Jets to overcome in Game 3

Minnesota shows they can hand with the high-powered Jets in a “wild” Game 3. If you love hard-hitting physical hockey, this is your series.

The Winnipeg Jets had some travel issues heading down to Minnesota due to a snow and ice storm that is currently ravaging the great-lake area. The Wild piled on to their problems with six goals tonight, suddenly making this an exciting series.

The Minnesota Wild came ready to play fast and hard in this game. The first home game for the Wild was a different pace from Games 1-2 in Winnipeg. They were able to match Winnipeg not only physically, but in shots and scoring ability as well. Though the score of the first two games look as though the series was close, it was not. Until tonight.

When Jets captain Blake Wheeler scored a goal early on one that Devan Dubnyk would have loved to have back, it looked as though it was going to be another dominant game for Winnipeg. The Wild took advantage of some early penalties from the over-excited Jets, though, and made it 2-1 by the end of the first.

Matt Dumba and Tyler Myers traded goals early in the second period as the physical play continued. The refs in this game were making a point to call penalties early and often, on most occasions pulling only one player from scrums to the box. They were setting a

very annoying

tone through this game that there would be no more rough stuff.

The Wild put it away in the second, scoring three more unanswered before the period ended. They will need a similar outing to keep the Jets high-powered offense at bay in game four on Tuesday night.

Dubnyk showed he can be a difference maker in this series. Aside from the initial Wheeler goal that he’d love to have back, he was excellent. Dubnyk has been good all series but was on another level tonight. Perhaps because he had more help from the rest of the team tonight.

The Wild came out firing on all cylinders. They scored six in the first two periods while matching the Jets in shots and physical play. How could you not come out fired up after hearing that powerful, creative, home-town Minnesota slogan delivered by Olympic gold medallist Jessie Diggins?

“Let’s play hockey!” Chills.

Zach Parise has been a stud lately, scoring 8 goals in his last 8 games. He showed tonight that his leadership and experience could lead a Wild team to victory. The following tweet just about sums up how great he was this evening:

The Wild brought next-level intensity to this one. They will have to continue to play at this level if they want to tie up this series. Connor Hellebuyck will have to exercise short memory after letting in six tonight, but there’s no doubt he’ll come back ready to play in game four.

A question for the Wild is whether they will be able to keep up this level of play against one of the league’s top offensive teams in the Winnipeg Jets. Ask anyone in Minnesota if they can pull this off and they will tell you without a doubt that their overlooked Wild team is capable of just about anything.

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We have ourselves a series! The Wild and Jets will play Game 4 on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. at Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota.