Games Eighty-one and eighty-two

The Minnesota Wild entered the final weekend of the season needing to win both of their remaining games, and get some help. They did their part, showcasing offensives skills, creativity, and a little magic with the puck as they defeated Nashville 8-4, and Columbus 6-3. Unfortunately for the Wild, St. Louis and Anaheim didn't give the help that they were looking for, as the Blues defeated Columbus 3-1, and Anaheim took a 5-4 victory from the Dallas Stars.

Something that Wild coach Jacques Lemaire said to the team must have sunk in from Friday morning. According to reports, the Wild were told to play the game and show the fans how much they love it, which turned into some great all-around performances on the ice. As it turns out, the Wild's strong performances were also their last for Lemaire, as he announced his resignation from the team. This past weekend may also have been the final weekend in a Wild sweater for Marian Gaborik, the Wild's one guaranteed gamebreaker. Gaborik put his talent on display at the end of the season, returning from his hip surgery to put together ten goals over the last eleven games.

Game pluses:
- Complete games. The Wild struggled during points of the season to put together a complete 60 minutes. That wasn't a problem either Friday or Saturday, as the Wild played well for the entire game, didn't take a shift off, and skated to easy victories. Imagine if they had been able to do that earlier in the season, when it wasn't a do-or-die situation.
- Creativity. Another thing that the Wild had problems doing throughout much of the season was stepping away from scripted plays. Again, both Friday and Saturday night, the Wild showed some very creative thinking, which helped create the offensive onslaught.
- Special teams. The Wild had a strong penalty kill all season, and their power play was never something to scoff at. During the final games, the Wild got goals from just about every on-ice combination you can see, from 4-on-4 to shorthanded to operating with the power play.

Game minuses:
- St. Louis. The Wild needed the Blues to lose both of their games, with at least one of those happening in regulation. Unfortunately for Minnesota, St. Louis took on a Columbus team that was bound for a let-down after securing their first playoff appearance, and a Colorado team that has been stuck in reverse for much of the season.
- Anaheim. The only other team that the Wild could catch was the Anaheim Ducks, and the Ducks knocked the Wild out of contention simply by forcing overtime against the the Dallas Stars. Winning the shootout simply added the exclamation point.
- Too little, too late. The Wild finally found a way to put together a three-game winning streak, but they did it with their backs against the wall. The Wild simply gave away too many points during the season, especially during December, to really stand a chance to make the playoffs.

Next up: The Wild has a lot to do during the off-season. Can they find a way to reel in Marian Gaborik for at least one more year, and, if not, can they find a player that will provide a similar spark? Now that Lemaire has left the Wild franchise, who will the next coach be, and what type of team will they put together? And was the way that Lemaire handled his resignation an indictment of parts of Wild management? Lemaire will almost undoubtedly find himself behind a bench in another part of the league, while the Wild may find themselves dwelling in mediocrity for a few seasons. Only some tough decisions, and some very strong moves, will craft the Wild into a playoff-ready team again. They can build around Mikko Koivu and Niklas Backstrom, but they still need to find the way to bring in talent. The Wild were a team that overachieved through much of the season, especially in the standings, and a lot of that was because of their coaching. With a different face behind the bench, next season could be a painful one for the Wild faithful.