Bleedin' Blue
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St. Louis Blues: Central Division To Return To Toughest Division Status

By Todd Panula

NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 07: St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) is shown during Game Six of Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Nashville Predators and the St. Louis Blues, held on May 7, 2017, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 07: St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) is shown during Game Six of Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Nashville Predators and the St. Louis Blues, held on May 7, 2017, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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ST. PAUL, MN – APRIL 22: Jaden Schwartz
ST. PAUL, MN – APRIL 22: Jaden Schwartz /

Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild had a dream season melt into somewhat of a nightmare. Don’t get me wrong, most teams would take their year in a heartbeat.

However, they raced out to what seemed like an insurmountable lead in the standings and then faded at the end. They let the Chicago Blackhawks pass them up in the standings. The Wild almost slipped enough that the Blues could have gained home-ice advantage.

Ultimately, that did not happen and did not matter since St. Louis won anyway. However, the Blues had the Mike Yeo factor, which probably gave more of a boost than anyone will ever admit. Getting revenge for your coach can be a motivator.

Despite the inauspicious end for the Wild, they are going to be a tough team again this year. The question will be how tough.

Can you depend on Devan Dubnyk to stand on his head the entire year again? Can they expect five guys in their 30’s to have 40-60 point seasons again?

The Wild made sure to re-sign some key pieces, including their first and fourth best scorers. They also added Tyler Ennis, who will be an intriguing piece.

Call me a fool, but I just get a feeling the Wild are going to regress to the mean. That is not based on anything, just a feeling.

I just feel they will be the Stars of this season and take a step back. That does not mean missing the playoffs, but winning the division might be out of their reach.

Their biggest question, like with many, will be their defense. It’s not so much a question of talent, but more whether their season last year was due to their defensive corps or Dubnyk’s stellar year.

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