Last year, the Wild played well enough to win Game 1 in Chicago, lost in overtime and got smoked in Game 2.
I don't think the Wild was nearly as bad as coach Mike Yeo portrayed tonight. I think he was doing a bit of postgame coaching because if the Wild actually thinks it played well and still lost 5-2, where does it go from here? It better fix its game for a Game 2 response. It's kind of like his Game 5 reaction last round when the Wild was the victim of some questionable officiating and he bit his tongue. If the Wild actually thought it was cheated (sorry, Todd McLellan term), where does it go in Games 6 and 7?
The Wild lost this game for four reasons:
1. Jonas Brodin is a high-sticking madman suddenly, was in the bin twice tonight and the Hawks made Minnesota pay both times.
2. Its lack of finish in a one-sided second period (despite outshooting Chicago 17-3 and missing another 11 shots, including one hit pipe), the Wild watched Chicago turn its one-goal lead into a two.
3. Lost the special teams battle 2-nothing.
4. Patrick Kane is scary good.
The first two periods, it was a rumor Kane was even in the building. The third period, he decided to surface right after Clayton Stoner and Kyle Brodziak turned a 2-0 deficit into a 2-2 tie.