The Wild down
2-0, coming into game 3 where a win is an absolute must especially playing in front of the home
crowd.
I attended
the game and took in the pregame festivities outside the X. They had a band
playing, food vendors were set up along with a playoff merchandise tent. KFAN
radio was doing a show and the tent next to that was more KFAN where a Stanley
Cup replica made by KFAN was available to hold up and get your picture taken with
it.
I found
another tent with ex North Stars players who were signing autographs for fans.
It was a thrill to meet Don Beaupre, Brad Maxwell, Jack Carlson and Tim Young.
Oh the memories of the old North Stars. What a great treat to have the pleasure
to meet these 4 former Stars.
In walking
outside I noticed a tremendous amount of Black Hawks fans that made the trip.
It was a lot of red outside with people where their Wild jerseys and the Black
Hawk fan that wore their red jerseys.
The game itself
started with Jack Jablonski taking the hockey flag and bringing it to center
ice. It was extremely emotional watching this young man come across the ice in
his wheel chair holding the State of Hockey flag. Jack’s Dad and brother called
out the Lets play hockey.
There was so
much emotion in the stadium. The playoff towels that were laid on each earing
were being waved furiously. The fans were really into the game. The Black Hawks
score leaving an eerie feeling and hearing people talk about oh no here we go.
The Wild tie
it on a late goal and really got the crowd as loud as it had been all day. The
Wild I felt outplayed the Black Hawks badly yet a tie score.
The second period
goal by Zach Parise got the X so jacked. I could hear the chants towards Black
Hawk goalie, Crawford as fans were chanting sieve, sieve, sieve.
I felt so
good about the Wild winning this game. It seemed everything was going right. I
look at the clock with 6 minutes left in the game hoping the time would speed
up.
The Wild’s
worst nightmare occurred as the fans got to watch the Black Hawks being relentless
in cycling the puck around and around. The Wild could not get the puck out of
the zone. It is a bad feeling sitting and watching helplessly as it seemed just
a matter of time before the Hawks would score.
It happened as the Hawks tie it up. Fans were so upset so much than 3
fans in front of me left the game saying we are going to lose.
Overtime
started with so much pressure on the Wild as the Black Hawks seemed to have
taken the game over late in the Third.
I had seats
where I got to see the Wild score 2 goals down in front of me so the Overtime
if the Wild were to win I would have to watch at the other end. It would be so
worth it.
I saw the greatest
moment at the other end as Jason Zucker scored the winning goal. Wild players
jumped the bench onto the ice in jubilation, fans were waving the hankies. The
place went bananas in my greatest hockey moment in attending a game.
I loved the
Wild play from start to finish. I thought Pierre Marc- Bouchard was the game
MVP. The determination by each and every player on the Wild was huge. The hits
the Wild laid on the Black Hawks never got old.
I believe
the key to beating the Black Hawks is 2 things: 1) hit the pretty boys because
they do not have their feathers ruffled and 2) shoot high on Crawford he can’t stop
the puck. A jacked up crowd doesn’t hurt either.
Game 4 is
now the biggest game of the year with a Wild win making it 2-2 or Black Hawk
win only leaves the Hawks needing one more.
Sunday’s
game was the best money I have spent in quite some time. It was a blast seeing
the Wild knock off the Stanley Cup favorites, the Black Hawks.
Go Wild
Thanks for
reading
Purplestick
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