Wild Week Ahead: Schedule & Storylines – Can’t Relax, Start Wallstedt and Lineup Steps Up – The Hockey Writers – Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild had a very busy past week with the end of their regular season and the start of their postseason. They finished the regular season with a difficult road loss to the St. Louis Blues on Mon. Apr. 13, but picked it up with a win at home on Tues. Apr. 14 over the Anaheim Ducks to close out their final game on a back-to-back. 

They started off the postseason on a good note with a win in Game 1 on Saturday, Apr. 18, over the Dallas Stars. They’ll have another busy week as they’ll play Game 2 on the road in Dallas and Games 3 and 4 at home. Here are a few storylines to follow for the week of Apr. 20 – Apr. 27.

Wild Can’t Relax

Of course, this sounds obvious, but sometimes teams let up a bit after getting that first win of a playoff series out of the way. The Wild can’t be one of those teams; they have to put the foot on the gas and keep finding ways to be better. 

They know the Stars will come out hard after losing Game 1, 6-1 on home ice. The Wild have to keep their style, but also put in even more effort and energy. The Stars will be looking for redemption, but the Wild can stop it as long as they get the jump as they did in Game 1.

Wild Start Wallstedt 

Something else that seems obvious, but we’ve seen goaltender changes in the postseason before. The Wild have to start Wallstedt in Game 2 and possibly the rest of the series if he continues to play well. He stepped up big and exceeded most expectations, as did the entire team, by taking down Dallas in Game 1.

He’s had the hot hand and didn’t look like he struggled at all as a rookie goaltender getting his playoff debut in Game 1 of the postseason. As long as he can continue that play and elevate his game as well, he should have the net. 

Wild’s Lineup Worked 

While the Wild’s top scorers and their goaltender did what was expected, their other lines did what they needed to as well. Their third line had chances but really provided the physicality as Yakov Trenin threw 13 hits in the game. While hits aren’t goals, they do help wear the other team down and work with the flow of the game when done correctly. 

That leaves the fourth line, and that’s the really physical line, as it had both Foligno brothers, and their center was Michael McCarron. However, they also helped out on the penalty kill, which did allow one goal, but killed off the other three penalties, which is a big feat against the Stars. It’ll be interesting to see how they do in Game 2 and if they can step up another level.