Wild players and prospects continue their season in the playoffs and tournaments

I think one of the coolest things about the post-season are the faces of the athletes.  It really can tell you a lot.  From the pale, bearded face of players that look more like members of a World War II U-boat crew.  Their pale, wooden yet scraggly appearance is a testament to the stress and journey of their post-season run.  From the 1,000-yard stare when you can see a team is struggling or about to lose a hard-fought game, the sigh of relief after huge penalty killing effort or this vicious look of determination of Wild prospect Zack Phillips.  The playoffs raise the intensity of emotion and in a single moment a player can be brought from the depths of despair to complete jubilation or go from feeling on easy street to instant depression.  The Minnesota Wild haven’t gone through this emotional roller coaster of the playoffs in a while, but that doesn’t mean for the organization that there is still not meaningful hockey to be played.  For a number of players and prospects they are still battling their way through the World Championships or their league tournaments. 

  Penticton Vees’ Mario Lucia

For one Wild prospect, the playoffs seem almost endless as Mario Lucia and the Penticton Vees are finally to the end of the road as they compete in the RBC Cup; which pits the various champions all across the Canadian Jr.A Hockey League.  The Vees seem to be the early favorite with its outstanding balance and high powered offense led by Lucia, and St. Cloud State commit Joey Benik.  Yet the playoffs match the best against the best and there are always going to be stumbles along the way and in the first game of their series the Vees fell 2-1 to Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Soo Thunderbirds.  You can follow the RBC Cup here.  The Vees’ next opponent is the RBC Cup host Humbolt Broncos.  Can Lucia and the Vees get it done and win the RBC Cup?

Click on “Read More” for the rest of the article…

But its not just all about the Wild prospects playing in juniors.  Some Wild players are continuing their seasons at the 2012 World Championships being co-hosted by Sweden and Finland.  The Wild have five players / prospects playing in the tournament, with the heaviest concentrations for tournament hosts Sweden (Johan Larsson, Jonas Brodin) and Finland (Mikko Koivu, Mikael Granlund) with Germany rounding out the group (Dennis Endras).  For Koivu and Granlund its all about trying to defend their gold medal from a season ago so needless to say they’re going to be looking for an encore.  Meanwhile, a very powerful Team Sweden is hoping to build upon their gold medal at this year’s World Junior Championships and when you consider they are co-hosting the tournament you should have a pretty spirited crowd. 

Mikael Granlund, who as of this moment still has not signed with the team is off to a good start registering two assists in the two games Finland has won this far.  Sweden’s Johan Larsson also has an assist to his credit thus far.  You can follow the progress of the World Championships here.  

  Saint John’s Charlie Coyle

Perhaps the most entertaining post-season group to follow is the Wild’s two prospects of the Saint John Sea Dogs in Zack Phillips and Charlie Coyle.  The Sea Dogs, the reigning QMJHL and Memorial Cup champions are just two wins away from punching another ticket to Memorial Cup.  Phillips and Coyle have been absolutely outstanding in the playoffs, with both players scoring the game winning goals in their Presidents’ Cup Finals against the Rimouski Oceanic. 

With four 1st round NHL picks on their roster in Phillips, Coyle, along with Jonathan Huberdeau and Nathan Beaulieu not to mention 2nd round picks in Tomas Jurco and Charles-Olivier Roussel the Sea Dogs have the talent and the depth to win it all.  Phillips has 8 goals, 29 points and is a ridiculous +22 in 15 games while Coyle has 15 goals, 32 points and is an even more impressive +25 in 15 games.  So who could the Sea Dogs possibly face? 

In the Western Hockey League finals, the Portland Winterhawks and Edmonton Oil Kings are tied at one game apiece thus far.  The Winterhawks are a lot like the Sea Dogs; as they are a team loaded full of high end talent.  With two NHL 1st rounders in Sven Baertschi and Joe Morrow along with 2nd rounders Ty Rattie, Brad Ross and draft hopeful Derrick Pouliot the Winterhawks have the talent to put just about any opponent at a disadvantage.  The Oil Kings are the younger upstart with not a lot of NHL drafted players but many hopefuls including leading playoff scorer Curtis Lazar, Henrik Samuelsson, Tyler Maxwell and Griffin Reinhart Edmonton wants to be this year’s Kootenay Ice which surprised everyone last year. 

In the Ontario Hockey League finals, the series is split at one game apiece between the London Knights and the Niagara Ice Dogs.  London is a team with lots of NHL drafted talent in Boston Bruins’ prospect Jared Knight, Montreal 1st rounder Jarred Tinordi and Nashville’s 1st round forward Austin Watson leading the way as Seth Griffith, Greg McKegg and NHL hopeful Olli Maata give the Knights an edge up front and along the blueline.  Niagara is also quite loaded, with 4 NHL 1st rounders in Ryan Strome, defensemen Jamie Oleksiak and Dougie Hamilton along with goaltender Mark Visentin. 

It should make for a talent filled Memorial Cup group with QMJHL host Shawinigan hoping to make a good show of it.  The Cataractes are led by enigmatic Russian Kirill Kabanov, and fellow NHL draftees Brandon Gormley and Nicholas Chaput.  I have no doubt it will be a remarkable and exciting event that I cannot wait to watch.  Who do you think will win the Memorial Cup?