The Griffin Jax era is (probably) upon us! But first we get another couple innings of Bailey Ober.
I always enjoy a big league debut, even if it isnt an absolute top prospect. Hopefully, there are other enjoyable things in this game as well.
Twins going for the series split after once again splitting the Friday and Saturday games this week.
Brad Keller v. Matt Shoemaker
The Twins started the month of May by scoring 7 runs in one inning against Keller. It's only right that they finish the month the same way.
In writing out the starting pitcher matchup, I can't help but notice that Matt Shoemaker is still in the rotation. Three of his last four stats have been good, and as long as the ball stays in the yard, he's finding a little success.
Yet another Sunday rubber match for the Twins. I'm pretty sure every Sunday game this season has come with the Twins having split the two games before them. So far Minnesota is 3-3 on Sundays, so the weekends have been pretty much a wash.
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.
Tonight the Wild get an elimination game at home. A win here forces game 7 back in Las Vegas on Friday. The home team hasn't fared well in this series so far, with Vegas getting the only home win in game 2.
The Wild didn't make it look super easy, but they got a win in game 5. At this point in the series, it no longer matters how well the team plays, it just matters if they win and keep the series going. Continue reading NHL PLAYOFFS: Game 6 – Las Vegas @ Minnesota
*Deep breath*
Well, let's do this one more time. The Wild play their first absolute "must-win" game of the year. They are back in Vegas, so we get another real late start, and it would be understandable if interest in this playoff season is waning. Disappointment and frustration are the dominant Wild fan feelings at this point, and the temptation is to write a post-mortem on this season already.
But!
The Wild aren't done until they lose one more game, so let's see what they can do with their backs against the wall. Continue reading NHL PLAYOFFS: Game 5 – Wild @ Vegas
J.A. Happ vs. Zach Plesac
Two pitchers who violate the WGOM style guide for the spelling of first names face off in yet another Sunday rubber match.
Miguel Sano has been very good at hitting the baseball lately. He's got at least one hit in 8 of his last 9 games, and in that time he has 2 singles, 3 doubles and 6 home runs (.333/.405/.970). Any time Sano has as many hits (11) as strikeouts (11) over a stretch, you know things are going well.
I am honestly not sure what to say about game 3. The first period looked so good. Wild players were in front of the net. Pucks were finding their sticks and actually getting past Fleury. Spirits were high!
And then the Wild turned in the worst two periods of the entire season series against the Golden Knights. Vegas got more goals than the Wild got shots over the last 40 minutes of game 3. It was an intensely frustrating game to watch. Continue reading NHL PLAYOFFS: Game 4 – Vegas @ Minnesota
The series is tied, and now moves to Minnesota for the next two games. The Wild have dominated in general as the home team, and have had three years of success against Las Vegas in Minnesota.
On the other hand, they will probably have to score more than one goal per game to win these two games. Continue reading NHL PLAYOFFS: Game 3 – Vegas @ Wild
Late night hockey for game 2 as the Wild look to take another game in Las Vegas.
Road teams that win games 1 and 2 in the NHL playoffs win 80% of the series (79 out of 99 historically). Road teams that win game 1 and lose game 2 win 43.5% of the series (70 out of 161 historically). Unsurprisingly, it would be good to win this game. Continue reading NHL PLAYOFFS: Game 2 – Wild @ Vegas
The most successful team in Wild history (by points percentage) now begins the playoffs on the road in Las Vegas, a team that could easily be the best in the NHL this season. A lot of the predictions and previews out there has focused on the Wild's success against Vegas in the regular season, where the Wild won 5 out of 8 and only lost once in regulation. That's not nothing, and it's always better to line up against a team that doesn't feel like the overwhelming favorite (see: Avalanche, Colorado), but it's also pretty clear that the Golden Knights are an elite team, one of the best in the NHL and there will be no easy wins for the Wild in this series.
I have to be honest, I don't know how I'm expecting this series to go. All the games against Las Vegas were super exciting and fun to watch, so if we get a series full of more games like that with playoff intensity on top of it? That will be something. It's been such a fun regular season, and the road through the playoffs is soooo tough, that it's impossible to say that getting knocked out would be an unexpected disappointment. But disappointment is still the word. Continue reading NHL PLAYOFFS: Game 1 – Wild @ Vegas
