Wild Warmup: Minnesota at Vegas, Game 7

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The Wild Warmup is presented by Bryant Heating and Cooling
LAS VEGAS -- For the fourth time in franchise history, the Minnesota Wild will take part in a deciding Game 7.
And when the puck drops on Friday night at what promises to be a raucous T-Mobile Arena, the Wild will continue a trend that has seen it play each of its previous three finales in the other team's home arena.
In each of those three games, the Wild has waltzed in and stunned the opposing fans with a victory. Minnesota will try and do the same thing this time, after a rather shocking turn of events in this series.
Just a few days ago, the Wild appeared left for dead after losing twice on home ice, and losing three consecutive games after a thrilling overtime win in Game 1.
The series was headed back to Las Vegas and the Golden Knights had all the momentum. Surely the Wild was on its final flight of the season, right?
Not so fast.
The Wild not only went into Vegas and overcame a 40-13 shots disparity in Game 5, but also weathered a 22-1 second period shots disadvantage, entering the final period with a lead that it would eventually double with a late empty-net goal.
That win gave the Wild the belief it needed to return home for Game 6, where it won at Xcel Energy Center for the first time in the series, playing an impressive brand of hockey in a 3-0 victory that saw goaltender Cam Talbot make 23 saves for his second shutout of the series.
Talbot's play in the past two games has the Wild brimming with confidence as it heads west for a final deciding game at T-Mobile Arena.

"It feels like just a second ago, it was 3-1 and you're down in the dumps and trying to get back in this thing," said Wild forward Zach Parise, who started the rush that led to Minnesota's first goal. "And now it's one game and see what happens.
"I think with the way Cam has been playing the last two games, he's got them feeling the way Fleury had us feeling for a little bit. I'd like to think we've got a little bit of momentum going into that seventh game."
The physical challenges will be plentiful for the Knights, who have been without leading goal-scorer Max Pacioretty all series and as well as depth forward Tomas Nosek since the second period of Game 2. Both have been classified as game-time decisions for each contest since but hasn't played.
On Thursday, Ryan Reaves was added to the COVID protocol list, joining defenseman Brayden McNabb. The two make up Vegas' most intimidating duo, and without them in Game 6, the Wild held a clear advantage in that regard.
But the mental challenges are also going to be demanding for a team that just blew a 3-1 series lead against the San Jose Sharks in 2019, the most recent of the 29 teams since 1942 to do so.
Twice, the Knights have had a chance to finish off the Wild, and twice, that mission has come up short ... including a Game 5 effort where Vegas threw seemingly everything it had at Minnesota, only to come up a couple of goals short.
"I think the players deserve a lot of credit for just believing, and believing in each other, and I think that's been the key -- not just in the playoffs, it's been the key from Day 1 with this group," said Wild coach Dean Evason. "They've played hard for each other, they've stuck together."
The Game 7 for the Wild is the first since it won in overtime in Colorado, 5-4, on Nino Niederreiter's game-winning goal in 2014.
In 2003, Minnesota beat the Avalanche in Game 7 in Denver after rallying from 3-1 down in the series. In the next round, the Wild also rallied from 3-1 down to beat the Vancouver Canucks in seven games.
Minnesota remains the only team in NHL history to rally from two 3-1 series deficits in the same postseason.
"We knew we were playing well. They're playing well. They're a great team. So we knew it was going to be tough," Evason said. "We know we can compete. We know we're going to battle. At the end of the night, we'll see where we sit."