Postgame: Torchetti vents frustration after Wild closes regular season with fifth straight loss

It's kind of funny that after Game 81, the media got admonished for allegedly being too negative and saying the Wild was backing into the playoffs and tonight after Game 82 coach John Torchetti voiced the frustration that we all expected after Game 81.

If the Wild's trying to lower expectations this postseason, it has done a magnificent job these last few weeks.

The Wild and its fans better hope this team can magically rediscover its mojo in the playoffs against Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza and the powerhouse Dallas Stars. If it doesn't, the Wild will, to steal Devan Dubnyk's word after Game 80's loss in Winnipeg, get absolutely "throttled" in the first round.

The series starts Thursday. The full schedule will be released Sunday.

Tonight, in a season-ending 2-1 loss to the Flames, the Wild entered the postseason losers of five consecutive games and outscored 16-6 in those games. Torchetti continued Mike Yeo's Game 82 trend of the last couple years by ripping into his team afterward.

The Wild played two solid periods, had a 31-11 shot advantage through two periods, at one point had a 24-5 shot advantage and took a 1-0 lead on Zac Dalpe's first goal with the Wild.

And then the Wild completely mailed in the third period, gave up the tying goal late in the third and like he so often does, Darcy Kuemper then let that affect him by giving up a stinker 31 seconds later with 5:54 left.

Here is my NHL Insider with my season-ending league awards.

The Wild enters the playoffs 0 for its last 5. The Stars, who finished with 109 points to win the Central and the West, enter the playoffs winners of 9 of their last 11 and 12-3-2 in their past 17.

The Wild's power play yet again was a monster failure tonight. The No. 1 unit is plodding and deliberate and beyond predictable. It went 0 for 5 and enter the playoffs 0 for 16 the past six games.

"We got frustrated because we didn't get the goals on the power play and then we tried to do it a little too much individually and two neutral-zone turnovers, just what we stressed about going into the game, looking for something that's not there," Torchetti said, bristling.

On Dallas, Torchetti said, "Well, we know special teams is big for them, so we've got to stay out of the box, and I think that we've got to get dialed in on our special teams ourself, moving forward, both of them, and little bit more hunger in front of the net. Didn't get enough net identity tonight. That was something we stressed A LOT, and didn't get it.

On the team right now, Torchetti said, "Well, we'll see in the playoffs. Whoever's playing the right way is going to be playing, and that's the bottom line."

Is he concerned the light switch can come on in five days, Torchetti said, "Well, we have to. We have to recognize it. Certainly we played two great periods. I liked everything about our game. I thought certain guys were buying into the right way of doing it and getting in on the forecheck, guys like Porter had an outstanding game. I don't like to say 'one player this, one player that' but we've got to all 20 players going and that's the bottom line. We don't have all 20 players going here."

Torchetti indicated a lot of guys were given chances tonight to see if they'll be in Game 1.

"See who wants it," Torchetti said.

Mikko Koivu said he liked everything about the Wild's game in the first two periods. But he said it was different going into the game knowing they were in after battling for a few months.

There will be a ton of coverage the next several days, including a closer look at the Stars in Monday's paper. On the previous blog is a quick look.

I will talk to you after Sunday's practice.

But, ...