Minnesota Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk joined NHL Live to look back at their win against the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference First Round. The Wild eliminated the Blues in six games and will face the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round.
Game 1 is Friday at United Center (9:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports 2).
"That was certainly a tough task and we knew it was going to be," Dubnyk said on defeating the Blues. "We still had a good feeling about it. To get the opportunity to do it at home was something that we all wanted to do and make sure we took advantage of it. It was special to be able to do it in front of the home crowd.
"For me, I had a great feeling going into the series. The group that we have and the way that we play is set up well for a seven-game series with our depth. The way that we've been able to stick with our game plan down the stretch here for months at a time I think was really an advantage for us."
A Vezina Trophy finalist, Dubnyk had a 2.32 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and one shutout in the first round, allowing a combined four goals in each of his four victories. He was 27-9-2 with a 1.78 GAA and .936 save percentage in 39 regular-season starts after the Wild acquired him from the Arizona Coyotes on Jan. 14. The Wild were 18-19-5 and in 12th place in the Western Conference at the time of the trade before finishing 46-28-8 and earning the first wild card into the playoffs.
Coach Mike Yeo's message to Dubnyk upon arrival was simple: We don't need you to be a hero.
"Just go out and be solid and play like how I've been playing," Dubnyk said. "Just go play. That's kind of been the message all along. And the way I've tried to approach it, it certainly helps you go out there and relax when that's the first message you're given."
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