Blackhawks vs Wild
ML -108 / -102
O/U 5
For an outdoor game, the conditions are expected to be pretty tame. It is expected to be 40 degrees, no rain, no snow. It’s almost a disappointment when outdoor games are not mid-blizzard like it was in the Winter Classic in Michigan. Oh well.
For the longest time, it was looking like the Minnesota Wild were going to be in a very difficult spot heading into this game. In the blink of an eye, they have done a complete 180. Under new head coach John Torchetti, the Wild are 3-0, sweeping a trip across western Canada.
Torchetti has lit a fire under the Wild. They have scored five goals in each of their last three games. They have scored the same amount of goals in their three games with their new coach as they had the previous seven losses under Mike Yeo. Charlie Coyle has scored in all three goals. Coyle and Torchetti have a connection from their AHL days together. They speak each other’s language, quite literally- both hail from Boston.
Mikko Koivu has a goal and four assists in his last three games, while Zach Parise has a goal and three assists. Sometimes, a change in voice and a change in attitude is all that’s necessary.
Going from a more reserved coach to one of a louder, more boisterous ilk is not uncommon, and it can often result in success in the short term. The New York Rangers went from a middle-of-the-road type team under the softspoken Tom Renney to the top of the Eastern Conference under John Tortorella. After a while, going to the whip too often can lose a room in a hurry as it did with Tortorella in both New York and Vancouver. But if the room is receptive to a change in culture, results can have a positive spike.
The most interesting aspect of the coaching change is the reception Torchetti and the Wild will receive tonight. It will be an electric atmosphere regardless, seeing as Minnesota is the “State of Hockey” and all, and they are playing the hated Blackhawks. This is the first time the Wild are back in their home state since Yeo’s firing. To have a change so close to an outdoor game is unprecedented. The Wild will be back in the Xcel Energy Center Tuesday.
Minnesota also has the bragging rights of the Alumni Game, coming away with a 6-4 victory. The vintage North Stars jerseys looked beautiful, not going to lie. Dino Ciccarelli even fought with Denis Savard kinda-sorta-not-really. But it was still pretty funny. That has to be the first fight in Alumni Game history, right?
Chicago’s offense has snapped awake, thanks to the shot in the arm the Toronto Maple Leafs provided. They have scored 12 goals in their last two games against Toronto and the New York Rangers, and the powerplay is 8-for it’s last-13. Artemi Panarin netted a hat trick against the Rangers Wednesday, bringing him to 22 goals on the season.
One innocuous but still pretty impressive note: five of six Chicago defensemen lodged a point against New York. Only Trevor van Riemsdyk was held off the scoresheet. He was the only defenseman to not see any powerplay time (Nik Hjalmarsson had one second of time, but it counts).
Not much needs to be said for the Chicago Blackhawks’ experience with outdoor games- this will be their fourth. It’s pretty ho-hum for them at this point. Their jersey creation team must be close to out of ideas.
To the game itself: the Wild are 10-6-1 in their last 17 regular season meetings against the Blackhawks. The Wild are listed at a -102, with the Blackhawks listed at -108. The over/under is 5. Outdoor games usually stifle offense, so the under is probably a safe play. Even though the weather won’t be much of a factor, outdoor ice is never all that good.
The key for the Wild will be maintaining pressure and momentum on sloppier ice. They need to strike first to set the tone of the game.
Prediction: Take the Wild to win. Play the under.
Final score- Wild 3, Blackhawks 1.
