Post-season disappointment for Minnesota Wild, once again

ST. PAUL, MINN. Five straight appearances in the playoffs for the Minnesota Wild have produced just two series victories and a high volume of frustration.

This year, a five-game loss in the first round to St. Louis marked the maddening peak of these spring letdowns.

“Sure, we felt good coming in,” captain Mikko Koivu said, alluding to the franchise-best 106 points compiled during the regular season that gave the Wild the secondbest record in the West. “I thought we had a great year coming into the playoffs, and we played well. Just not good enough.”

For all the excitement the Wild created, from hiring regular-season expert Bruce Boudreau as the new coach to winning 12 straight games in December to finishing second in the NHL with a plus-58 goal differential, their dedicated fan base was left disappointed.

“Usually you remember what you last saw so, unfortunately, you’re going to remember getting knocked out in five games,” said forward Zach Parise.

There’s not really a common theme in these early exits, either, other than the core of the roster remaining the same throughout the run since Parise and defenceman Ryan Suter signed their landmark 13-year contracts worth $98 million apiece in 2012.

Goalie injuries and the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks got in the way in 2013 after a 5-8-1 finish nearly kept the Wild out of the post-season. An upset of the Colorado Avalanche in a thrilling seven-game first round in 2014 led to a rematch with Patrick Kane and the Blackhawks and a six-game defeat.

The only series-clinching win the Wild have ever recorded at home came in 2015 against the Blues, but the Blackhawks were waiting again on their way to another title. The defence was overwhelmed by Jamie Benn and the Dallas Stars in 2016.