Blackhawks at Wild, 5/7/13, Western Conference quarterfinals, Game 4

DOWN TWO GAMES TO ONE, the Wild look to even their series with the Blackhawks and head back to Chicago tied at two games apiece.

SUNDAY WAS ONE OF THE most memorable nights in Xcel Energy Center history, with more than 19,000 fans on hand to see the Wild recover from an early 1-0 deficit and get their first win of the series when Jason Zucker scored in overtime for a 3-2 Wild victory. Zucker became one of just a handful of players who scored their first-ever post-season goal in overtime. Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Zach Parise scored in regulation for the Wild, both of them putting backhand shots over the left shoulder of Chicago goalie Corey Crawford.

SOME CREDIT FOR THE WILD’S energetic, physical play on Sunday goes to Stephane Veilleux, who did not play a single regular-season game for the Wild this year, but who was inserted into the lineup for Game 3 and responded with three hits in just under eight minutes of ice time. Also contributing to the physical play was Cal Clutterbuck with a game-high eight hits, and Devin Setoguchi with seven. Picking up his first-ever post-season point was Wild center Kyle Brodziak, who assisted on the Bouchard goal.

INJURY REPORT: Still questionable are Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom and forward Jason Pominville. Both are skating, but it’s unclear if they are ready to play. Mike Rupp, Zenon Konpoka and Clayton Stoner are all nursing injuries as well and their availability is uncertain. To provide depth, the Wild have brought up a number of players from Houston, including Jake Dowell, Matt Dumba, Carson McMillan and Justin Fontaine. At today’s morning skate, Dowell was centering Torey Mitchell and Veilleux on the fourth line.

TRIVIA QUESTION: When he scored the winner on Sunday, Jason Zucker became the fifth player in Wild history to score an overtime goal in the playoffs. Who were the first four? (Answer below.)

AT THIS MORNING’S PRE-GAME skate, Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith, who scored the tying goal late in Sunday’s game, was not on the ice. He flew back to Chicago to be with his wife, who gave birth to a baby boy, and Keith is expected back for tonight’s game. Both forward Dave Bolland and goalie Ray Emery remain out for Chicago, although the team said they might be available for Game 5 on Thursday.

IT’S NOMINATION TIME FOR the NHL’s post-season awards, and finalists for the various awards are being named over the next few days.  Today Wild defenseman Ryan Suter was named one of the three finalists for the Norris Trophy, awarded every year to the NHL’s best defenseman. Suter led the NHL in ice time this season, averaging 27:16 per game, a franchise record. He was second among NHL defensemen in assists with 28, and third in points with 32. P.K Subban of Montreal and Kris Letang of Pittsburgh are the other two finalists. The winners are named during the Stanley Cup finals.

SNUBBED IN THE NOMINATIONS was Suter’s defensive partner, Jonas Brodin, who many observers expected to be a finalist for the Calder Trophy, awarded each year to the NHL’s best rookie. Brodin led all NHL rookies in ice time, and was a plus-3 on the season with two goals and 11 points. On Tuesday, nominees for the Masterton Trophy will be named. The Masterton is awarded for “Perseverance and Dedication to Hockey.” The Wild’s Josh Harding is Minnesota’s nominee for the award and seems likely to be named a finalist.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Previous Wild players to score playoff overtime goals were Richard Park (2003 vs. Colorado), Andrew Brunette (2003 vs. Colorado), Keith Carney (2008 vs. Colorado) and Pierre-Marc Bouchard (2008 vs. Colorado). For Carney, it was the last goal in a 16-year career that spanned 1,018 games.

IN OTHER WESTERN CONFERENCE series, the L.A. Kings won at home last night to tie their series with the St. Louis Blues at two games each. Also tied at 2-2 are Anaheim and Detroit, following the Red Wings’ overtime win last night. San Jose leads Vancouver 3-0 and looks to close out that series tonight in San Jose. All four of the Eastern Conference series are at 2-1, with Pittsburgh, Boston, Ottawa and Washington holding the lead.

UP NEXT: Game 5 of the series is set for Thursday night in Chicago, with another 8:30 Central Time start. Game 6 will be Saturday here in St. Paul.

Blackhawks at Wild, 5/5/13, Game 3, Western Conference Quarterfinals

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN over five years, the Xcel Energy Center plays host to a Stanley Cup playoff game as the Wild take on the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago won the first two games of the series, beating the Wild 2-1 in overtime in Game 1, and 5-2 in Game 2.

COMING BACK FROM A 2-0 deficit is not all that unusual in playoff history. In Stanley Cup history, 291 teams have fallen behind 2-0, and 13% of those teams have gone on to win the series. Two of the most recent examples involved Wild Coach Mike Yeo, who was an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2009 playoffs. In both the conference semifinals (against Washington) and in the Cup finals (against Detroit), the Penguins fell behind 2-0 and rallied to win each series 4-3. And it was just 10 years ago that the Wild trailed both Colorado and Vancouver 3-1 and came back to win each series.

THE SERIES GOT OFF TO A bad start for the Wild before the first puck was dropped. Goalie Niklas Backstrom – the NHL’s co-leader in wins during the regular season – suffered a lower-body injury during warm-ups and was unable to play. Josh Harding stepped in at the last moment and played well, stopping 35 of 37 shots in Game 1, and tying a franchise record with 43 saves in Game 2. Backstrom has been skating since the injury, but his availability is unknown. Darcy Kuemper was recalled from Houston and was dressed for Game 2.

IN ADDITION TO THE Backstrom injury, the Wild are without Jason Pominville, who has not returned since being elbowed in the face by Los Angeles’ Dustin Brown last week, and Clayton Stoner, who was injured about eight minutes into Game 1. Marco Scandella was called up from Houston at the beginning of the series to bolster the defense and has played well in both games.

THREE DIFFERENT WILD PLAYERS recorded their first-ever post-season points in Game 2. Scandella scored his first-ever playoff goal, while Jason Zucker and Charlie Coyle each recorded assists.

THE GAME 1 LOSS IN CHICAGO was the ninth overtime playoff game in Wild history, and they now have a 4-5 record in overtime playoff games. The Wild came close to winning the game when Jason Zucker hit the crossbar with a shot about 12 minutes into the overtime period. Zach Parise also had a good scoring chance before Chicago’s Bryan Bickell ended the game with a goal.

TODAY WILL BE THE 14^TH Stanley Cup playoff game in Xcel Energy Center history, and it has not been a particularly good place for Minnesota to play in the post-season. The Wild has a 4-9 record in previous playoff games at the X.

TRIVIA QUESTION: What was the longest playoff game in Wild history, and what was the score? (Answer below.)

FORCED TO PLAY WITHOUT Zucker, Scandella and Kuemper – who were brought up to the Wild – the Houston Aeros lost their five-game Calder Cup playoff series three games to two to the Grand Rapids Griffins. Saturday’s Game 5 loss was not only the end of the season for the Aeros, but the end of the franchise as well. The Aeros are being relocated to Des Moines, Iowa, and will begin play this fall as the Iowa Wild. With the team’s season ended, all Aeros players are eligible to be used by the Wild in the playoffs.

IN OTHER WESTERN CONFERENCE series, the St. Louis Blues lead the L.A. Kings 2 games to 1, San Jose has a 2-0 lead over Vancouver and Anaheim leads Detroit 2-1. In the Eastern Conference, Washington leads the New York Rangers 2-0, while the Montreal-Buffalo, Pittsburgh-New York Islanders and Boston-Toronto series are all tied at one game apiece.

TRIVIA ANSWER: On May 10, 2003, in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, the Wild and the Anaheim Ducks played 8:06 into the second overtime before Petr Sykora’s breakaway goal against Dwayne Roloson gave the Ducks a 1-0 victory. The Ducks would go on to sweep the Wild in four straight and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

UP NEXT: Game 4 of the series is set for Tuesday night here at the X, with an 8:30 start time. Game 5 is Thursday in Chicago, with Game 6 back in St. Paul on Saturday.

Edmonton Oilers at Minnesota Wild, 4/26/13

AND SO, AFTER A CRAZY 94 days and 46 games, it comes down to this: If the Wild can win one of their two remaining games, they are in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2008. They could also get in by losing both tonight’s game and Saturday’s game at Colorado in overtime or a shootout, thereby earning two points, or they can get in with a Columbus loss Saturday against Nashville. But the clean, simple way is this: Win tonight, and they’re in.

THERE ARE LOTS OF COMPLICATED playoff scenarios, and the only thing certain at this point is that Chicago, Anaheim and Vancouver will be the #1, 2 and 3 seeds in the Western Conference when the playoffs begin, by virtue of winning their respective divisions. Every other position in the West from fourth through ninth is up for grabs. The Wild can finish no higher than sixth – which would match them up against Vancouver in the first round – and they can only get there by winning both their remaining games, while San Jose loses to Los Angeles on Saturday in regulation. Winning both games would also ensure that they can finish no lower than seventh, and the seventh-place finisher will face Anaheim in the first round. If the Wild split these two remaining games, it’s possible Detroit could pass them and leave Minnesota in the eighth spot. Got all that? Don’t worry, it will be a lot clearer on Saturday night.

BEFORE LOOKING AT TONIGHT’S game, let’s take a moment to savor Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over Los Angeles, which should go down as one of the most important regular-season wins in Wild history. After losing five straight at home, and with their playoff hopes in jeopardy, the Wild played a tough, physical game to beat the defending Stanley Cup champions and regain some momentum. Charlie Coyle and Cal Clutterbuck scored goals 16 seconds apart in the first period, and Niklas Backstrom made 22 saves – including a spectacular one with 11 seconds left – to earn the win.

THE VICTORY WAS MARRED by the loss of forward Jason Pominville, who left the game in the second period after being elbowed in the face by the Kings’ Dustin Brown. Pominville did not return, did not practice yesterday, and is officially listed as day-to-day. On Wednesday the NHL suspended Brown for two games.

ON THE MEND: Wild forward Zenon Konopka returned to action Tuesday, and Mike Rupp practiced yesterday and may play tonight. Stephane Veilleux was returned to Houston after being a healthy scratch Tuesday, and Carson McMillan was brought up in case Rupp can’t go.

THE OILERS ARE PLAYING out the string on another disappointing season. In the spring of 2006, the Oilers were a game away from winning the Stanley Cup, losing Game 7 of the finals to Carolina. Since then, they have failed to make the playoffs in seven straight seasons, twice finishing with the NHL’s worst record. They have lost nine of their last 10 games, and will again be in the NHL draft lottery when it is held Monday night. They are without the injured Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Ryan Whitney and Ales Hemsky.

TRIVIA QUESTION: When was the last time a Stanley Cup playoff game was held at Xcel Energy Center, who played, and what was the score? (Answer below.)

FILLING THE X: The lockout-shortened season has not diminished the Wild’s attendance. The Wild has sold out 21 of the first 23 games, and expects another sellout tonight. Average attendance of 18,792 (through Tuesday) is the highest ever, breaking the old mark of 18,575. After modifications made before this season, the building’s official capacity is 17,954.

TRIVIA ANSWER: On April 17, 2008, the Wild and the Colorado Avalanche were tied at two games apiece in their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series. Game Five was played at the X, and Colorado won 3-2. The Avalanche would finish the series by winning Game Six in Denver two nights later.

UP NEXT: The Wild conclude the regular season Saturday when they face the Colorado Avalanche in Denver. Game time is 6:30 p.m. Central time.