Minnesota is in a familiar spot heading into Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the team is upbeat and hopeful ahead of Sunday night’s game.
This is the third straight playoffs the Wild have trailed the best-of-seven series after Game 1, but they aren’t planning to repeat history and return to Minnesota down 2-0.
“It’s a new team. It’s a whole new playoff round. We’re not sitting here thinking, ‘Oh here we go again.’ We’ve got another chance to win a game here and try to get back to Minnesota with a split,” Wild forward Zach Parise said Saturday, NHL.com says.
Minnesota fell short of a comeback Friday night in Game 1, losing to Chicago, 4-3 – it was the team’s seventh straight playoff loss in Chicago, NHL.com says.
“All year, we’ve done a good job of putting things behind us and moving on — win or loss,” netminder Devan Dubnyk said, according to the Star Tribune.
Minnesota hasn’t lost consecutive games in regulation since Dubnyk put on the Wild sweater back in January. He is expected to play in goal Sunday.
Dubnyk: "We believe we can…We have a lot of confidence with this group in here."
Watch → http://t.co/2YWUQlasFs pic.twitter.com/C6XCRE05ez— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) May 2, 2015
In Game 2, the team is hoping to match the Blackhawks energy – and come out fighting from the start.
“I think we’ve got to start on time,” forward Chris Stewart said, according to Wild.com. “We kind of waded into the game [Friday] and they’re a good team and they made us pay.”
Minnesota hopes to play a faster game Sunday, picking up the pace of play, putting more pressure on the attack and forecheck, and to be more physical, Wild head coach Mike Yeo told reporters after practice Saturday.
Yeo: "Whether it was rust or not being ready at the drop of the puck, we have to make sure we change that for tomorrow." #mnwild
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) May 2, 2015
“No lead is safe in the playoffs,” Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said, according to The Associated Press. “We know they’re a dangerous team and we expect every shift to be important.”
There will be at least one change in the Wild’s lineup Sunday night: Forward Justin Fontaine will miss the game after suffering a lower-body injury during Game 1, ESPN reports.
Yeo decided to call up Erik Haula to replace Fontaine on the fourth line.
Haula: "I'm excited but it's not about me. It's about me helping and us playing as well as we can tonight." #mnwild
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) May 3, 2015
The puck drops at the United Center in Chicago at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. The series heads to Minnesota Tuesday.
