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Dean Evason faced a decision ripe for second-guessing no matter which option he picked. The Wild coach could choose the hot goalie or the goalie with Hall of Fame credentials.
Some might call that a good problem to have entering the NHL playoffs, though if Evason's choice for starting goalie in Game 1 against the St. Louis Blues flopped, the reaction would be predictable:
Why didn't you start the other guy?! He was the obvious answer!!
Evason went with Marc-Andre Fleury over Cam Talbot, but picking on the goaltender after such a sloppy, error-filled performance by the entire team would be a lesson in scapegoating.
The Wild stole a page out of its playoff playbook by coming up empty on scoring chance after scoring chance to squander home-ice advantage in a 4-0 loss that ended with fans booing the final seconds at Xcel Energy Center.
The mystery over which goalie would start became a secondary storyline as the Wild struggled in all facets. Sure, Fleury got outplayed by his counterpart, Ville Husso, but failure spread up and down the Wild lineup.
It's only one game, but Game 1 smacked with a thud.
The Wild better play much, much better to have any chance against a well-constructed Blues team that is now 4-0 against them this season.
Sometimes hockey scores can be deceiving. This one wasn't.
The Blues capitalized on their chances. The Wild didn't.
The Blues played terrific. The Wild laid an egg.
The Wild's power play was feeble, finishing 0-for-6. The Blues scored twice on the power play.
The Wild undermined itself by taking undisciplined penalties, including a senseless crosscheck by captain Jared Spurgeon that could bring discipline from the league office.
The Wild held the advantage in shots (37-31), but it was a throwback performance, similar to previous postseason losses when the Wild did zilch with prime scoring chances.
The Wild flirted with goals all game but didn't bury them. During one scrum, four Wild players squeezed into the crease trying to jam the puck past Husso and still didn't score.
Husso made tough saves when required. Fleury gave up multiple goals off rebounds.
Fleury could have been sharper but scoring zero goals is far more concerning. This Wild offense is supposed to be different this postseason because the lineup features more high-end scorers. Game 1 was same old, same old.
At the other end of the ice, Evason has a decision to make on whether to stick with Fleury for Game 2 or turn to Talbot, who closed the regular season on a 13-0-3 run. Evason said before the opener that giving Fleury the nod was an "easy decision because we feel both are more than capable of starting for us here."
Fleury didn't exactly get to ease into the series after a hooking penalty on Jonas Brodin on a breakaway four minutes into the first period gave the Blues a penalty shot. It was the first penalty shot for Fleury in 163 playoff games and the second against the Wild in its postseason history.
Fleury flashed a quick glove save to deny Ivan Barbashev.
That was about the only highlight.
Fleury allowed two goals on rebounds in the first period, the first one coming just as a power play expired.
Fleury's defense bailed on him on the second goal. A total breakdown in their zone left Ryan O'Reilly all alone on Fleury's doorstep.
The goalie question didn't have an obvious answer — at least to outside observers — because Talbot outplayed Fleury down the stretch and hit the playoffs at the top of his game.
Fleury's playoff pedigree — 90 postseason wins in 162 games — likely tilted the decision in his favor. That, and the fact that Talbot lost all three starts against the Blues this season, twice in overtime, while giving up 16 goals.
Other areas deserve more scrutiny after one game. With so much optimism and positive vibes circulating, the Wild delivered a dud. A performance that underwhelming belongs to everyone, not just one position.
