One more bounce-back chance for Wild in Game 2

CHICAGO – There was no panic or, as Zach Parise said, "freaking out" inside the Wild locker room Saturday.

That wasn't overly shocking.

After all, the Wild has mastered the art of the bounceback better than any team in the NHL for nearly four months. Since the Jan. 14 arrival of Devan Dubnyk, the Wild hasn't lost consecutive games in regulation. So player after player voiced confidence between Games 1 and 2 that they will be able to rebound yet again Sunday night and avoid a 2-0 hole against the Chicago Blackhawks.

"We're not sitting here thinking, 'Oh here we go again,' " said Parise, referring to the fact that Chicago had ended the Wild's season in each of the past two playoffs. Both times, the Wild fell behind 0-2, although the Wild won Games 3 and 4 at home last May to even the series before ultimately losing in six games.

Friday night, the Blackhawks stormed out to a 3-0 first-period lead before the Wild rallied with three goals in the second period. However, in the final minute of the period, Teuvo Teravainen's shot from along the wall 56 feet out somehow fluttered beyond Dubnyk's glove.

It was a bad goal at a worse time.

But Dubnyk showed in the first round against St. Louis that he can avoid being rattled by losses. In the games after each of his two losses to the Blues, he gave up one combined goal on 54 shots for a 0.50 goals-against average, a .982 save percentage and one shutout.

"All year, we've done a good job of putting things behind us and moving on — win or loss," Dubnyk said.

He called Friday's game "weird" because he felt great and was only disappointed in the fourth goal he gave up.

"You never want that to be the decider," said Dubnyk, adding he was glad coach Mike Yeo didn't pull him. "It's nice to be able to stick out the game and get a better feel for the series and the team that you're going to be facing after the start that it was. We'll just get back at it on Sunday."

After reviewing the video, the Wild believed the first period was not nearly as poor as the 3-0 deficit would seem to indicate. Yeo said the Wild had the better of the territorial advantage and just made mistakes on three rush chances by a quick-strike, talented, opportunistic team that doesn't need much to make a team pay.

"I know one thing against this team, I think we have their attention probably a little more than we have in the past," Yeo said. "But with that comes maybe a greater sense of preparation on their part going into every game and I think we'll see that again [Sunday]."

So it's even more imperative for the Wild to build its game earlier. That means using its speed and getting on aggressive forechecks. In the second period, when the Blackhawks began to mismanage the puck because the Wild pressured so well, the Wild was able to hem the Blackhawks in their zone and go to town with cycles and net-front play.

That led to goals by Jason Zucker, Parise and Mikael Granlund.

"We know we're going to get our chances against them," said Chris Stewart, who has no goals this postseason. "The more we get in their zone and grind them down and make them work 200 feet for their chances and frustrate them will play more into our game plan."

After playing a chip-and-chase Blues team that keeps things simple, the Wild looked rusty in the early part of the first period Friday and almost taken aback by Chicago's ability to counter in a snap. But Blackhawks coach Joel Quenne­ville said the Wild "as a group of five defend better than anyone" and he expects a tougher task Sunday.

"Getting scoring chances against Minnesota is not easy," he said. "Minnesota's going to make you deserve everything you get. They're not going to give you anything. We've got to be ready for a hard game. …

Quenneville expects his team to defend better as well.

"I don't anticipate seven goals a game," he said. "There's not a lot of room and you've got to be respectful for the way they check and how they counter. We were generous in some areas."

The Wild is 2-7 all-time in Game 2 and has been in 0-2 holes in three of the past four series. Yeo would love nothing more than forcing a split Sunday and taking home-ice advantage back to Minnesota just like the Wild had in the St. Louis series.

"We are putting a great emphasis on that game [Sunday]," Yeo said. "It's a much different situation if you can grab a game and go back, as we saw last series."

Added Stewart: "[The Blackhawks] won the game, but they're probably not feeling too well about the pushback we had. We came here to get one and hopefully we get one."