Seventh Game Heaven

Quick, name the last time a Minnesota sports team went to a game seven? How about 10-years ago when the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Sacramento Kings in the second round of the 2004 NBA playoffs. Since then, the four professional teams (Wild,Vikings,Twins, T-Wolevs) are combined 6-17 in the playoffs (not including the Wild wins this playoffs).

It has been a long 10 years since the last time Minnesota had something this exciting happening in the sports world. Just to go down memory road, since that spring of 04 Minnesota has heard Latrell Sprewell say he needs more money to feed his family, Twins never being able to beat the New York Yankees in the playoffs, Brett Favre unretiring to come play for the Vikes and throwing that infamous interception, then re-retiring, and then unretiring, Joe Maure bilateral leg weakness, Metrodome roof collapse, and Tsuyoshi Nishioka. There have been some ups like Adrian Peterson MVP seasons, Zach Parise, Ryan Suter coming to Minnesota and David Kahn being fired.

So tonight, embrace it, we get the privilege to watch something fantastic which is game seven in hockey. We have the Minnesota Wild taking on the Colorado Avalanche in Denver, and this is not the first time these two franchises have faced off in a game seven before. Eleven-years ago the Wild came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Avs.

This series has seen it all, two come from behind wins with your goalie out of the net, a missed offside call that resulted in the winning goal, Mikael Granlund acrobatic goal, Zach Parise hand-eye coordination put on display, and a goalie competition that has been phenomenal.

So either way, a win or a lose this Wild team is heading in the right direction, it wasn't expected for this roster to win the cup, but last season the series against the Chicago Blackhawks did not feel like the playoffs, but this season has seen this team mature, and fight for respectability in the National Hockey League.

If this series has taught us anything, it would be to expect the unexpected tonight. Watch for a hard fought game, a one-goal difference at the end, and for a rivalry to be born, but the one thing that makes NHL playoffs so great is that after this hard fought seven games are over these two teams will get together and shake hands at center ice.