Feb 14, 2013; St. Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild former forward Andrew Brunette (15) waves to the crowd prior to the game against the Colorado Avalanche at the Xcel Energy Center. The Avalanche defeated the Wild 4-3 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

With the Minnesota Wild about to embark on its first post-season adventure in 5 years, I’ve decided to take a look back at the team’s 3 previous play-off runs.

In this edition, I will be re-visiting the 1^st game of the 1^st round from 2003, 2007 and 2008.

Before we all get wrapped up in play-off fever tomorrow, let’s take a little walk down memory lane.

2002/2003: Round 1, Game 1

Minnesota Wild @ Colorado Avalanche

9:00 PM ET, April 10, 2003

Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado

Oct 17, 2011; Toronto, ON, Canada; Colorado Avalanche right wing Milan Hejduk (23) warms up before playing against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. The Avalanche beat the Maple Leafs 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

On paper, this series was a mis-match. The Avalanche had won two Stanley Cup titles in seven years and a record nine straight division championships, while the Wild was a third-year team making its first playoff appearance. Coach Jacques Lemaire even joked that his players might have to untie Colorado’s skates just to have a chance.

The Avs dominated the 1^st period, outshooting the Wild 18-3, but the scores remained level thanks to an inspired performance from Dwayne Roloson, in only his 5^th career start. He opened the game by stopping a wraparound by Bates Battaglia in the first minute, then made a diving glove save on a rebound by Sakic a few seconds later.

In the 2^nd period, the Wild stunned the Avs when Filip Kuba scored the first postseason goal in Wild history, one-timing a pass from Andrew Brunette on the PP. 4 minutes later Marian Gaborik scored another PP goal, firing the puck between Patrick Roy’s legs. The Wild has barely finished celebrating when Wes Walz converted after a missed wrap-around chance from Pascal Dupuis.

Peter Forsberg, the league’s leading scorer with 106 points, was kept quiet as the looked to throw him off his game. Walz left Forsberg kneeling and holding his nose after a collision in the second period, and another check late in the period lifted him off the ice. Diminutive Cliff Ronning even took a shot at Forsberg shortly after jumping over the boards early in the third.

A goal from Joe Sakic before the end of the 2^nd period gave Colorado a glimmer of hope, but they were unable to push on, and the game finished 4-2 to the Wild after Andrew Brunette and Milan Hedjuk traded goals late in the 3^rd.

Interestingly, 3/6 of the goal scorers are still playing in the NHL, and Brunette only retired this year.

2006/2007: Round 1, Game 1

Minnesota Wild @ Anaheim Ducks

10:30 PM ET, April 11, 2007

Honda Center, Anaheim, California

Oct 27, 2011; St. Paul, MN, USA; Anaheim Ducks forward Corey Perry (10) celebrates his goal with forward Teemu Selanne (8) during the first period against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The Wild finished the 2007 season in 7^th place in the West, which meant they would be facing the 2^nd seed, Pacific division champion Anaheim Ducks.

Ducks coach Randy Carlyle pulled a surprise by starting Ilya Bryzgalov instead of JS Giguere, who had just taken time off due to medical complications with his newborn son.

Bryzgalov made 24 saves, but let in the opening goal, a slap-shot from Pavol Demitra in the 2^nd period. 3 minutes after this, Teemu Selanne tied things up when he took a long pass from Francois Beauchemin, broke behind the defense and into the slot, where he slid the puck between Niklas Backstrom’s pads.

Dustin Penner scored the GWG with 5 minutes remaining in the 3^rd period. Penner poked the puck in after Kim Johnsson crashed into Backstrom, sending him sprawling backward into the net. The puck was sitting in the crease, and Corey Perry swept it toward the goal. Penner took a couple of swipes at it and forced it in.

Backstrom thought the goal should have been disallowed: “I watched the replay and I was sure it was under me and nobody saw the puck,” he said. “Of course, you’re going to get the puck out from a goalie if you slash at it with your sticks. “That’s a bad goal and we lose a game on that,” added Backstrom, who stopped 32 shots.

Wild coach Jacques Lemaire wasn’t so sure it should’ve counted, either: “I don’t know if he stopped the puck or whether he was right on top of it or if it was under the pad,” Lemaire said. “He waited a bit and they whacked the puck right in.” Final score 2-1 to the Ducks.

Mikko Koivu, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Niklas Backstrom and Stephane Veilluex are the Wild players remaining from the team that played in this game.

2007/2008: Round 1, Game 1

Colorado Avalanche @ Minnesota Wild

6:00 PM ET, March 30, 2008

Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota

Nov 29, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville on the bench in the third period against the Phoenix Coyotes at the United Center. The Coyotes defeated the Blackhawks 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

The Wild entered this series on the back of their 1^st divisional title, where they met a Colorado team that had rallied it’s old stars for one last stab at glory.

The Avs made their early chances count. Kurt Sauer, who scored only once that season, got the first goal. Ryan Smyth followed with a power-play deflection, and the Avs were up 2-0 in the second period with only seven shots on net at that point. Jose Theodore thwarted the Wild at the other end with some huge saves.

The Wild scored twice in the 3^rd to tie-it-up. First Mikko Koivu’s shot from beyond the circle glanced off Finger’s skate, with Brian Rolston parked in front of him, and ricocheted in. Then, with Todd Fedoruk playing the muscle man role on a power play Peter Nummelin made a short pass in front of the net. Fedoruk snagged it, pivoted and with some deft stick work sent the puck past a sprawling Theodore.

The Avs had three chances to win it near the end of regulation. David Jones kicked in a loose puck, which was waved off. Then, Milan Hejduk’s deflection of Chris Finger’s slap shot clanked off the post. Finally, Smyth was awarded a penalty shot with 2:27 remaining following a scrum around the crease, but Backstrom smothered his right-then-left attempt to sneak the puck around his stick.

Joe Sakic scored an NHL record 8^th play-off OT winner, nudging Ruslan Salei’s ricocheted shot from the point past Niklas Backstrom. Jacques Lemaire said he thought his team might have been a bit tired in extra time. He blamed rookie center James Sheppard for leaving the net on the fateful play.

“We know we can play these guys,” Koivu said. “We know it’s going to be tight all the way. That’s how it’s going to be. It’s going to be a fight. Every game, every shift. We just couldn’t finish the way we wanted.” Final score, 3-2 to the Avs.

The Avs coach in this game was, current Chicago Blackhawks coach, Joel Quenneville.

Okay, that’s all for this edition of “Do You Remember The First Time?”. I’ll be back later in the week to look at how the Wild fared in Game 2 of each series. Go Wild!

Mar 14, 2013; St. Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise (11) against the Colorado Avalanche at the Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Avalanche 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Wild are in Colorado to take on the Avalanche in both squads final game of the regular season.  This is Colorado’s last game of the year, for Minnesota this is their last chance at the playoffs.  Colorado sits in last place in the Western Conference with the second worst record in the NHL.  The Wild are in the 8th and final playoff spot entering tonight’s game.  Columbus is in 9th place tied with the Wild in points with 53 but Minnesota wins the tie-breakers and holds the higher position.  The Detroit Red Wings are in 7th place, one point ahead of the Wild.  There are a couple of different scenarios for the Wild to make the playoffs.  The preferable option is for the Wild to win the game.  A victory places them in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for sure with the final position dependent upon how the  Red Wings and Columbus fare in their games.  If the Wild lose they can still back in to a play off spot if Columbus loses, but the Wild would rather take care of business on their own.  Minnesota holds a 3-0-1 record versus the Avalanche this season including a pair of wins in St. Paul along with a shootout loss.  The only thing Colorado has to play for is the role of spoiler, much the same as Edmonton did last night at the Xcel Energy Center.  The Wild players and coaching staff all say they are looking forward not behind as they prepare for this final battle.  This is it for the Wild, win and they’re in.  Lose and it’s probably time to get those early May tee times scheduled.  The Wild have been in a free fall in the month of April.  At the end of March Minnesota was battling for the Northwest Division lead and the accompanying top three seed in the Western Conference.  Since that time the Wild have posted a dismal record of 4-8-1 in the month of April and finds them struggling to remain in the play off picture.  Minnesota has had difficulty finding consistency  as the end of the regular season approaches getting shut out 3 times and scoring two or fewer goals in another 7 contests.

Wild net minder Niklas Backstrom will be starting in goal tonight, a point that Head Coach Mike Yeo made clear last night after the 6-1 debacle against the Oilers.  Yeo said, “I’ve got total confidence in Backy to play that game.  This one hurts, but I’ve seen this group respond enough, I’ve seen our leadership enough, to still be confident.”  During his career Backstrom has been fantastic in games after one in which he was pulled, I expect that trend to continue tonight.  Defensively I don’t see the Wild making any wholesale changes to the defensive pairings.  Ryan Suter and Jonas Brodin will be facing the Avalanche’s top line.  Jared Spurgeon will remain paired with Justin Falk, while Tom Gilbert skates with Clayton Stoner.  The defense is going to have to perform at a much higher level than last night.  They simply cannot allow the Avalanche to set up shop in front of the Wild net.  To many times against the Oilers Minnesota allowed opposing skaters unrestricted access to the slot area where forwards had easy shots at the net.  Tonight Minnesota must make life miserable for the opposition if the try to set up shop in front of Backstrom.

Offensively the Wild had no trouble getting shots on goal, they did however have trouble getting rebound opportunities.  Tonight the Wild forwards must generate second and third chance off of an initial shot.  The lines should look pretty much the same with Mikko Koivu, Zach Parisema and Charlie Coyle on the top line and leading the Wild power play.  Minnesota was 0 for 2 against the Oilers and need to cash in on any man advantages they get tonight.  Special teams may well be the difference in this game.  Minnesota has a 17.6 percent success rate won the power play to 15.1 for Colorado. The Wild kill penalties at the same 80.6 percent rate as the Avalanche.  The Wild average 2.45 goals per game compared to 2.40 for the Av’s.  I don’0t expect this to be a high scoring affair with the team that performs better defensively and executes the better forecheck to emerge the victor.  The next two lines for Minnesota should be Matt Culen with Devin Setoguchi and Cal Clutterbuck, line three is Torrey Mitchell, Kyle Brodziak and Pierre-Marc Bouchard.  That leaves the energy/checking line of Zenon Konopka, Mike Rupp and Jake Dowell.  One key to tonight’s game is a balance scoring attack.  The top line can;t do it alone and needs some scoring opportunities from the 2nd and 3rd lines.  As I’ve said over and over and over a quick start is a must.  Friday night against Edmonton minnesota gave up the momentum early and spent the rest of the games chasing the puck trying to get it back.

It’s do or die time for the Wild.  Lose tonight and the “we’ll get ‘em next time” becomes next season.  The Wild have the talent on both sides of the puck and in goal to perform at a very high level. It’s gut check time.  This team is more than capable of winning this game in a dominating fashion.  Getting the first goal, limiting time on the penalty kill, following up shots by crashing the net and playing their game will put Minnesota in position to win tonight and advance to the 1st round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2008.  The goal is within reach boys, go get it!  I’ll be back after the game with a full recap and analysis of tonight’s action.  Until then this is Scott Drain loudly, yelling, “LET’S GO WILD!!!!!’