Apr 9, 2013; St. Paul, MN, USA; Chicago Blackhawks goalie Ray Emery (30) makes a save on Minnesota Wild forward Jason Pominville (29) and forward Kyle Brodziak (21) during the third period at the Xcel Energy Center. The Blackhawks defeated the Wild 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota heads into Sunday’s Game 3 matchup with the Chicago Blackhawks down two games to none. Having barely squeaked into the playoffs, the Wild offense is going to have to kick into high gear to keep up with the Blackhawks’ dynamic scorers. Two major pieces missing from the offensive puzzle are veterans Dany Heatley and Jason Pominville.

Heatley is not the “Heater” he was of old, but he still knows how to put the puck in the net and has a presence sorely missed in the Wild lineup. Unfortunately, an injury incurred by former Sharks teammate Marc-Edouard Vlasic in an end-of-game scrum on April 3^rd sidelined him for the rest of the season, including the playoffs. In his career, Heatley has scored 15 goals and 42 assists for 57 points in 66 playoff games.

Pominville arrived late in the season, but made an immediate impact with four goals and five assists for nine points in 10 games, including four multi-point games. Jason was also a key component in the recent relative success of Minnesota’s third line with Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Kyle Brodziak before he was put on the shelf via a Dustin Brown elbow to the head. Pommer is also a playoff veteran of four campaigns with the Buffalo Sabres and has scored 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points in 45 playoff games. Not only does he have playoff experience, but, as the former captain of the Buffalo Sabres, he brings much needed leadership to the Wild.

Due to Pominville’s travel arrangements and Heatley’s injury, Minnesota has yet to play a game with both in the lineup. It makes you wonder what the last few games of the season might have been like with both players skating together in the same forward lineup as Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, Matt Cullen, Devin Setoguchi and Charlie Coyle. There is a good chance Minnesota would now be higher than the 8^th seed, meaning no Blackhawks in Round One.

Unfortunately, there’s no point in looking at what might have been. There’s no question their skills, experience and combined 85 points in 111 Stanley Cup Playoff games would be a tremendous asset to an offensively-challenged Wild squad. While Heatley is definitely out for the rest of the season, Minnesota fans are hoping—praying—that Pominville makes a quick return so the Wild can salvage what’s left of their first playoff run in five years. His return can’t come soon enough.

Feb 14, 2013; St. Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Mikael Granlund (64) 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

According to the Minnesota Wild website, the team has recalled rookie forward Mikael Granlund, 21, from the Houston Aeros. The 5’10” 180-pound center will play tonight in Los Angeles, as Minnesota looks for a victory in Jason Pominville’s Wild debut. Granlund, drafted 9^th overall in 2010, made his NHL debut on January 19^thand skated in 19 games with Minnesota, scoring one goal and five assists before being sent down to gain more ice time in Houston. In 29 games with the Aeros, he has scored 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points. Granlund’s six points in 19 games doesn’t mean he’s a bust; Minnesota was just struggling to find their groove and he found himself the odd man out. Even with the success of Charlie Coyle, Jason Zucker, Jonas Brodin and Darcy Kuemper, Granlund still has a higher ceiling than them all.

Mikael Granlund called up for #mnwild; Guess is he’ll play center & this will keep Coyle on wing; Heatley “out,” says Fletcher. No timeframe

— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) April 4, 2013

With the addition of Pominville, and the subtraction of Matt Cullen and Dany Heatley due to injuries, Granlund will likely slot back into the second line center role he started in at the beginning of the season. With that said, and knowing Pominville will take the top line right wing spot, Minnesota Wild Head Coach will probably bump Coyle down to Bouchard’s spot on the second line and Bouchard down to Heater’s spot on the third—at least—that’s what I would do. Granlund and Bouchard play a very similar style of game and likely would be counterproductive to the other’s style. With both Coyle and Devin Setoguchi on his wings, Granlund has two great goal scorers to setup for a scoring chance.

If Bouchard isn’t just a product of Setoguchi and Cullen, he’ll be fine on the third line—where he originally started the season—and will maintain the scoring touch Heatley provides in his absence. So, if my assumptions are correct, we’ll be looking at four tough forward lines:

Parise-Koivu-Pominville

Setoguchi-Granlund-Coyle

Bouchard-Brodziak-Clutterbuck

Rupp-Konopka-Mitchell

And to think the two forward scratches are veteran Cup-winning center Matt Cullen and two-time 50-goal scorer Dany Heatley—that’s a disgustingly good lineup.

In order for Granlund to succeed on the second line, Bouchard has to go and vice versa. Both players aren’t known to have real physical presences—just slick moves. A second line of goal scorers Setoguchi and Coyle with a savvy playmaking pivot in Granlund is downright nasty. The size and physicality of both Seto and Coyle will give Minnesota’s great hope the room to work his magic and, when Granlund has room, look out.