Going The Distance

After tonight's thrilling 3-0 win by the Minnesota Wild on home ice against the Vegas Golden Knights, it appears we'll have at least one series that goes the distance in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I have to admit that it's hard not to like how this series is being played as it's physical, mistakes are being turned into goals, and both Marc-Andre Fleury and Cam Talbot seem capable of stopping anything thrown their way. In short, this series has gotten better as it has gone on!

Minnesota has shutout Vegas twice in this six-game set thus far, and it's pretty clear that Vegas is struggling to score goals with nine of their 14 total playoff goals coming in Games Three and Four in Minnesota. While the Golden Knights do have a pile of talent that can still score, it's fairly evident that there's a hole in the lineup that needs to be filled by injured leading goal scorer Max Pacioretty.

Pacioretty has been out of the lineup since May 1, and has yet to practice with the Golden Knights in a full practice. If he's going to return on Friday to help the Golden Knights in their Stanley Cup quest, he might need whatever panacea it was that allowed Nikita Kucherov to come back and play hockey like he hadn't missed a beat after being out for the entire season.

All jokes aside, getting a 24-goal scorer back in the lineup would be a huge boost for the Golden Knights as they've only scored 14 goals in six games with nine of those goals coming in Games Three and Four while Games One and Six saw them end the night with a zero on their side of the ledger. While the Wild and Cam Talbot have been excellent in keeping the Golden Knights at bay, injecting a player with Pacioretty's talent in finding the back of the net into the lineup can't hurt.

As it stands, Pacioretty will be a "game-time decision" as Minnesota and Vegas get set for Friday's tilt in Sin City.

On the other side? A wildly different Minnesota team (see what I did there?) than what you may remember under the likes of Jacques Lemaire and Bruce Boudreau. The Wild play fast, exciting hockey that sometimes borders on chaotic based on what happens in their zone, but they've been opportunistic when it comes to capitalizing on mistakes and they're forcing mistakes with a reckless abandon on the forecheck.

If there are similarities to Minnesota Wild teams of the past, the current iteration is still extremely stingy in the defensive zone when it comes to allowing chances and shots to reach the net, and Cam Talbot's having his best season statistically as a result since his 2014-15 campaign with the New York Rangers. With the Wild dedicated to this defensive play, it seems not much has changed, but that's where the similarities end.

They have a legitimate superstar scorer in Karill Kaprizov whose playmaking and creativity is matched by his ability to score goals. They have crafty veterans like Mats Zuccarello, Zach Parise, and Marcus Foligno chipping in points. They have a crop of younger players in Kevin Fiala, Ryan Hartman, Joel Eriksson Ek, Jordan Greenway, and Nick Bjugstad who love to mix things up physically while terrorizing goalies. And they have an exceptionally underrated defensive corps that has found both its legs and its physical play with the likes of Ryan Suter, Matt Dumba, Ian Cole, Jonas Brodin, and Jared Spurgeon anchoring the blue line.

The end result of these two teams clashing in the first round is that we'll need a seventh game to decide who advances to square off the awaiting Colorado Avalanche in the second round. Minnesota comes into the deciding game with some significant momentum after outscoring Vegas 7-2 in those two contests and having the road team in this series win four of six games to date. Vegas, on the other hand, rallied back with a 3-1 win following the Game One shutout they suffered on home ice, so they're looking to replicate that result on home ice in Game Seven.

Friday's contest between these two should be a dandy, and one of the two teams will live to play another day in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. If that's not motivation enough for these two teams, I'm not sure what is!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!