May 9, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Minnesota Wild left wing Torrey Mitchell (17) is congratulated by his teammates for scoring a goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period in game five of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

With last night’s 5-1 loss at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks, the Minnesota Wild have officially been eliminated from their first playoff series in the Chuck Fletcher Era. However, it’s highly unlikely it will be the last.

Game One:

Cal Clutterbuck’s Goal

Game Two:

Devin Setoguchi’s Goal

Marco Scandella’s Goal

Game Three:

Pierre-Marc Bouchard’s Goal

Jason Zucker Levels Brent Seabrook

Zach Parise’s Goal

Josh Harding’s Amazing Save on Toews

Jason Zucker’s Overtime Goal

Game Four:

Well…at least there’s this!

I like to think Seabrook cried himself to sleep every night of this series.

Game Five:

Torrey Mitchell’s Goal

It was tough to see the team go down in five, but there’s no shame in losing to the best team in the league. Four of Minnesota’s big rookies played huge roles in this series, including two top-6 wingers (Charlie Coyle and Jason Zucker), a franchise top-pairing defenseman (Jonas Brodin) and possibly the future franchise No. 1 netminder (Darcy Kuemper). Playing in the playoffs gives them a taste of success and will only make them hungry for more. We’ll go more in-depth as to what caused Minnesota to bow out early, but enjoy the highlights above and be content with the fact that the future of this franchise has never looked brighter.

The Wild’s season may be over, but we still have a lot of coverage for you with the draft, free agency, prospect camp, previewing realignment and our new rivals etc. Be sure to stay tuned to Gone Puck Wild this offseason; that’s when our site’s season really begins.

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Feb 26, 2013; St. Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Matt Cullen (7) against the Calgary Flames at the Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Flames 2-1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Wild had lost seven of the past nine games heading into their matchup with the Calgary Flames last night. With the return of Matt Cullen was the return of the team’s offense it seems, as Jason Pominville scored twice and captain Mikko Koivu and struggling winger Pierre-Marc Bouchard scored, as well, as the Wild pulled out a 4-3 victory while gaining a precious two points on the road.

Cullen seemed to ignite an offense that had gone stone cold in recent games, and was the main engine on the second line driving Devin Setoguchi, rookie Jason Zucker and Bouchard. Though his only point came as the primary assist on Pominville’s game-winning goal, his presence was felt throughout the Wild lineup. Zucker struggled all night long, but Cullen was right there talking his ear off on the bench with tips on what he should or shouldn’t be doing. Considering how important Cullen is to this team, there probably isn’t a better mentor for the rookie—he’ll be just fine.

The problem is keeping Cullen healthy. Minnesota was 1-4-1 without Cullen in their six games prior to his return. That’s including a whopping three shutout losses. That’s inexcusable for a team fighting for their playoff lives. “It’s been awfully tough watching, and it will be nice to get back in the fight with the guys,” Cullen told reporters prior to the game. “If there’s a side benefit to [time off], it’s a pretty good stretch of rest to be rejuvenated here.”

Minnesota has six games left in the regular season and two more on this road trip. Tonight, the Wild play a young and talented Oilers squad that will be itching to please new management. Last night, Colorado took Columbus the distance before falling in overtime. Minnesota plays the Avalanche in the final game of the season—if the Avs can spoil the Wild’s playoff hopes, they will. The truth is: there are absolutely no easy games. Cully knows this, “We’ve gone through a tough stretch of games. We have seven left here and we have to win a bunch.”

The lower-body injury he was originally diagnosed with typically takes three or four weeks to heal, and Cullen has returned after two—he’s not 100% healthy, you can be sure. Cullen is a quality character guy with plenty of playoff experience, including winning the Cup in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes. If Minnesota is going to succeed, they’ll need him to be at his best every step of the way. Fans need him to be at his best every step of the way.

A win by Minnesota tonight would put them at 51 points, four above the playoff bubble. If the Los Angeles Kings beat the San Jose Sharks, Minnesota jumps into fifth place; if Vancouver beats St. Louis, Minnesota remains in 6^th regardless of a win against Edmonton or not. You can bet Wild fans across the country will be cheering on the Kings and Canucks in addition to Minnesota tonight.