Game preview from Hockey Wilderness. Be sure to check out their full game thread this afternoon for full lineups and the Five Questions of the game.
This is what we call a perfect storm. An afternoon game on a beautiful Saturday afternoon featuring two teams struggling not to be in twelfth place. Fans? Not so sure about that. I guess we will see, but my guess is the sun wins out on this one.
The positive take on the current situation is that the Wild are six points out with 11 to play. Twenty-two points are still available, which means the math still works. The realistic take is that the Wild are in 11th, which means they need three teams to fall apart, and quickly.
Still, those 11 games have to be played. Even if there are no playoffs, the games must go on, and these guys are still professionals. They will be giving it their all, and they could use your support while they do it.
The Blue Jackets are the very definition of beatable. Aside from Rick Nash, the offense is limited, so shut him down and you have a pretty good chance. That is… assuming you remember the other guys are still allowed to score. Nash is the lynch pin, and he is a Wild killer.
The Columbus game plan is very similar to that of the Wild, thus explains their relative position in the standings. Do more than they should with less than what they need to do it. Nothing about the Jackets screams intimidation, so if the Wild decide to actually show up this afternoon, it is very possible to win.
Hey, maybe this is the one that spurs them into an 11-0 run to finish the season. (Hope, it’s what’s for dinner.)