It's the last time the Wild will play the Golden Knights this season. The final game of the first round playoff series is here. There is just nothing left to say about this series. You know what we're looking at.
Two teams playing each other for the 7th time in a row will never lack for stories. This series is no exception. Talbot and Fleury have gone back and forth. The Wild managed to figure out how to break up almost every single Las Vegas offensive zone pass in game 6, but have struggled to sustain that disruption in almost every other game. Goals have been called back on both sides in pivotal moments. It's been a ride, and as good as you could hope for a playoff series.
Winner gets to start round 2 on Sunday against the Avalanche who haven't played a game in a week.
It feels like there aren't a lot of predictors in this series. In Vegas, Minnesota has won 2 of 3. The team that outshoots the other is 2-4 in the series. The team that scores first is 3-3. The teams are playing too evenly for the most part and either goalie can take over a game and render everything else unimportant.
One thing thats been clear is that both teams are really quick to respond to that first goal.
- Game 1 - first goal ended the game
- Game 2 - MIN scored first - LV scored 0:18 later
- Game 3 - MIN scored first - LV didn't score until the next period 26 minutes later
- Game 4 - LV scored first - MIN had a goal overturned 0:27 later
- Game 5 - LV scored first - MIN scored 0:52 seconds later
- Game 6 - MIN scored first - LV had goal overruled for interference 4:34 later.
Only once had the first goal not created a response within 5 minutes. And when those goals stayed on the board, it was the responding team that won the games. Something to watch in game 7, not only who scores first, but how they deal with the immediate response from the other side.
Hey, remember when Kevin Fiala scored and we all jumped off the couch and yelled so loud that we woke up our families?
That was awesome.
Most importantly, the Wild are 3-0 when I picked a featured image that showed a Wild player shooting the puck.
I'm not sure I can wait 4 more hours for this.
Pacioretty, Vegas' leading scorer in the regular season, in the lineup for the first time since May 1.
No changes for the Wild lineup.
Not a great start here.
Shaping up as one of those periods where the Wild are just trying to survive.
Parise whiff from point blank, woo!
Not that time!
Parise has to pass there right?
Ok I won’t hold it against him.
Super impressive shot there Zach
Pretty good!
based on that shot I'm surprised they didn't call the goal back
GOAL!
4 more years!
Parise from Suter to tie.
That means good things tonight, right?
I'm hoping Vegas just gives up and doesn't even come out for the second period.
Damn.
Have the Wild won a faceoff this week?
they won that one!
Vegas apparently employing the strategy of murdering all the Wild defensemen.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas...
And now Ek is out.
*nervous noises*
I'm surprised they didn't show one replay of Brodin getting injured. Sure looked worse than the boarding that was called for a penalty later in the period.
this is getting annoying
Can healthy scratches replace injured players or if you lose 13 guys to injury do you have to forfeit?
Grr. This is not enough like game 6 for my taste
Cam Talbot not doing Cam Talbot things tonight.
Fleury hasn't looked great either, the Wild have just decided that shots on goal are for suckers.
I'm not sure if fighting after every single whistle is what the Wild need to get back in this
Nor having every other pass intercepted either.
I just ...
The mind boggles.
Isn't empty net usually saved for the 3rd period?
so. many. turnovers.
This might just be it. Not surprisingly, it's kind of annoying to lose game 7 like this.
Dang, that’s a lot of hats.
Well, I'll say this team got me to watch hockey for the first time in four years, and I plan to watch next year. So there's that.
Yup. This was a really enjoyable season to follow hockey, and I'm looking forward to what I assume will be continued improvements.
The margin for error was just too thin through the whole series. Wild played well enough that it wouldn't have been crazy for them to win it. But Vegas was better.
Vegas-Colorado should be fun.