If you're a Wild fan, Wednesday night marked the beginning of the sixth consecutive postseason in which your favorite team has participated. While such things should be appreciated and not taken for granted, there's also a sense of urgency and wanting more for the Wild, which hasn't made it past the second round any of the previous five years.
Another hasty exit — even against a heavily favored Jets team, even in a season during which the Wild has persevered through numerous injuries — would reinforce the idea that the Wild's roster construction is lacking.
If you're a Wolves fan only, you're painfully aware that the team entered a must-win game against Denver with a 13-season playoff drought. This year's squad had already won the most games since that last trip to the playoffs in 2003-04 and improved more than any other team in the West. And yet it all came down to one game.
Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.
