Boudreau: Wild were 'friggin' good' in Game 3 loss to Blues
The Minnesota Wild are learning the hard way that a hot goalie can steal a series.
One of the top teams through the regular season, including a win streak that saw the team string together 12 straight victories, things haven't run so hot for the Wild in the opening round of the playoffs.
Now down 3-0 to the St. Louis Blues, the Wild have been regularly stymied by Blues netminder Jake Allen, who turned aside 40 shots in Sunday's 3-1 loss. He has allowed just three goals in the series, stopping 114 of the 117 pucks directed toward the St. Louis net.
Wild defenseman Ryan Suter voiced his frustration over his team's inability to regularly put the puck by Allen, telling Michael Russo of the Star Tribute, "We're not playing bad. We just can't score. If we can find a way to score a goal, it's a different game."
Minnesota bench boss Bruce Boudreau agreed with Suter's stance.
"If you're looking for me to criticize our team, it's not going to happen," Boudreau told reporters. "We were friggin' good tonight. We didn't get the breaks, so quit trying to put words in our mouths that make us look like we're bad, because we're not.
"These guys are trying right to the end. They want to win as bad as everybody. They want to bring it home to Minnesota. Right now, it's not working."
The Wild have outshot the Blues throughout the series, 117-78.
Boudreau noted the team's mindset will be to look at Wednesday's contest as a Game 7, as St. Louis now has a stranglehold on the series and another win marks the decisive victory for the Blues.
Four teams have come back from 3-0 series deficits in NHL history, with the most recent coming in 2014, when the Los Angeles Kings stormed back in epic fashion against the San Jose Sharks.
"It's possible. It's been done. It doesn't happen very often, but when you have three games that were as close as ours, it doesn't take a lot to turn it over," Boudreau added. "Our whole goal is just to win Wednesday and we'll be happy for a day."