Fansided

Each NHL team’s biggest burning question in 2018

By Simon Vacca

EDMONTON, AB - OCTOBER 23: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers lines up for a face off against Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 23, 2018 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
EDMONTON, AB - OCTOBER 23: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers lines up for a face off against Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 23, 2018 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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ST. PAUL, MN – OCTOBER 11: Minnesota Wild center Eric Staal (12) celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 2-1 Chicago in the 2nd period during the regular season game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild on October 11, 2018 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, MN – OCTOBER 11: Minnesota Wild center Eric Staal (12) celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 2-1 Chicago in the 2nd period during the regular season game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild on October 11, 2018 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Minnesota Wild: Will they finally attain postseason glory?

Consistent in their ability to use the regular season as a mere teasing point for more than half a decade, the Minnesota Wild shall look to the present campaign as yet another opportunity to exorcise their postseason tendency to falter.

Having ushered forth a much needed shakeup at the top of its administrative body with the introduction of Paul Fenton as the club’s GM, the past summer was otherwise underwhelming for the Wild. Acquisitions in Greg Pateryn and J.T. Brown add some much needed depth, yes — but the presence of two of the league’s worst contracts in the form of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter continue to leave the organization cap-strapped.

Yet the team is quietly managing to turn heads — and in an under-discussed fashion at that. The likes of Parise, Suter, Mikael Granlund, Mikko Koivu, Matt Dumba, Jason Zucker and Eric Staal have played well, while Devan Dubnyk and Alex Stalock form the basis of one of the sport’s best goaltending tandems.

But as they say, the numbers don’t lie. Each of the past five seasons have seen moments in which the Wild performed favorably under similar circumstances, only for disappointment to cast its disconcerting shadow once the playoffs rolled around. For those who may have forgotten, the race for Lord Stanley’s trophy has been increasingly unkind to puck lovers in the North Star State:

  • 2013-14: Defeated the Colorado Avalanche in the first round (4-3), eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round (4-2)
  • 2014-15: Defeated the St. Louis Blues in the first round (4-2), eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round (4-0)
  • 2015-16: Eliminated by the Dallas Stars in the first round (4-2)
  • 2016-17: Eliminated by the St. Louis Blues in the first round (4-1)
  • 2017-18: Eliminated by the Winnipeg Jets in the first round (4-1)

The Wild have been particularly impressive thus far. But can they sustain this momentum for the rest of the season? And is this finally the moment in which a degree of postseason glory is attained?

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