The Minnesota Wild seem to have a knack for digging playoff holes for themselves. They'll hope that they still have a knack for climbing out of them when Game 3 starts on Tuesday.
Minnesota trails the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 in their second-round series, and a loss at home in Game 3 would push them to the brink for the third consecutive year. Each of those times, the Blackhawks have been the opponent forcing them to start their offseason early.
But Minnesota also dug out of a 2-0 deficit against the Colorado Avalanche last year, so they're quite used to living in playoff foxholes. The problem this time is that the Blackhawks are sharing the offensive load while their goaltending starts to get hot. Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp all scored in Game 2, and goalie Corey Crawford righted his ship with a 30-save performance.
His Wild counterpart has yet to stack up. Through two games, Devan Dubnyk has allowed seven goals and sports a measly .892 save percentage.
Game 3 coverage
8 p.m. ET | Game 3, Western Conference Semifinals
Xcel Energy Center | St. Paul
Nat'l: NBCSN
Live stream at NBC Live Extra