There is really no hope for the Minnesota Wild currently. We have moved beyond the well, maybe they’ll get back to their old ways tonight feeling, and straight into expecting them to lose — and that present feeling only multiplies when facing the New York Rangers.
Two things can be true: The Rangers rely heavily on generational goaltending from Igor Shesterkin and their abnormally good power play while also sucking at basically a lot of other game situations, and the fact that they are still scary as hell despite that weakness. They might not be the most solid team from front to back, but those aspects of their team can wash away any concern during the regular season and against a team that is finding themselves in a difficult situation.