Another huge hockey game for the Wild … and another shutout.
The St. Louis Blues blanked Minnesota, 2-0, Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center to leapfrog past the Wild in the Western Conference playoff standings. Right now, Minnesota is just two points ahead of eighth-place Detroit and four points ahead of ninth-place Phoenix with eight games to go.
What’s behind the April meltdown?
Here’s a roundup of what sportswriters and bloggers are saying, the morning after:
Brian Hall, Fox Sports North: “After missing the playoffs for four straight years, Minnesota is learning what it’s like to play in games with immense pressure.”
Tom Powers, Pioneer Press: “The Blues are good. The Blackhawks are good. The Wild are supposed to be good, too. People have every right to squawk when they get shut out three out of four.”
Chad Graff, Pioneer Press: “Four of Minnesota’s next five games are against teams outside the top 10 in the conference. If the Wild can’t pull off a winning streak, things could get ugly.”
Michael Russo: Star Tribune: “They almost play jittery, and I’m talking about the guys that have been on this team through the non-playoff years. It’s like they sense the wheels are coming off and are afraid to do anything to mess up.”
