When Wild coach Mike Yeo benched Ilya Bryzgalov and inserted Darcy Kuemper as the goaltender in Game 3, it was a head coach trying to get something going for his team. He knew he had to shake things up after realizing his starting goaltender in Games 1 and 2 was not the guy that would help the Wild be in a position to win the rest of the series.
It was a head coach that relied on his gut. Still, he didn’t know if Kuemper was the answer. Not when the Wild goaltender never started a NHL playoff game in his career prior to Game 3. Yeo was hoping for his best.
So far, Kuemper has made Yeo look like a genius by playing well. He has given up a goal in 34 shots in Games 3 and 4. It helps his defense has given him support by not having the Avalanche go past the neutral zone often.
The 23-year-old goaltender was tested with a minute to go in Game 4. Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy took Semyon Varlamov out in the nets for an extra skater, and the Avalanche were able to shoot the puck at will. The Wild goaltender denied Ryan O’Reilly several times there, and that was the game. It was something the Wild wanted to see.
It gets harder for the kid as the series goes on. Game 5 shifts to Denver tonight, and it will be his first playoff game. How he fares in that setting will determine how good he really is. A great goaltender plays well in a road setting. The Wild are curious to see how he responds.
One of the reasons why the Avs have an advantage is goaltending. Varlamov has been excellent in this series. He did all he could to put them in a position to win Games 3 and 4, but the offense only mustered a total of one goal in those games. There’s nothing he can do unless he could have threw the puck from his net to Kuemper’s. There’s no reason to doubt the Avalanche goaltender for the rest of the series.
Varlamov can do well in a road setting. No one knows what Kuemper can do on the road. That’s why tonight is going to be interesting.
The Avs are a good team offensively at home. They skate better in their own rink, and they know how to find holes to score. They also feed off from the crowd. That’s why it will be a challenge for the Wild goaltender tonight.
The Wild believe in him. What choice do they have?
To Kuemper’s credit, he is treating this game like a regular season game. He does not want to make too much of a playoff start. That may seem like a cliché, but goaltenders can be wacky in terms of being gung-ho in games. Kuemper does not say much. He carries himself like Pete Sampras where he is so calm.
He should be fine heading to tonight’s game as far as his temperament goes. It’s another story about how he performs. He should expect more action from the Avs from his zone tonight. His big test will be to not give up that many rebounds if he has a chance to succeed.
The Avs like their chances against Kuemper. They feel he may be vulnerable being in his first road playoff game. They also believe they are not going to struggle offensively for three games in a row.
They better hope they are right. If the Wild goaltender performs well and wins tonight, there are going to be concerns heading to elimination game in Game 6 on Monday night. That’s why Kuemper will be the focus of this game. The Wild could find someone who can steal playoff games if he comes through.
Kuemper’s play is why the Wild feel good about their chances to steal a game in Denver. They feel tonight is the night they have to win a game on the road.
They can win Game 7 on the road, but it won’t be easy.
Game 5 is a pivotal game. Either the Wild can finish the Avalanche off Monday with a win or Avs can either finish the Wild off on Monday or Game 7. This is a momentum swing.
It all comes down to what the Avalanche can do against Kuemper tonight.
Contact or follow Leslie Monteiro at @LightRodWriter
Related Posts From Lightning Rod Sports
Leslie Monteiro
Leslie is a contributor for Lightning Rod Sports. He covered high school sports in Bergen County out in North Jersey, and has written op-ed columns on sports such as Bleacher Report and NY Sports Digest.