from Michael Russo of Russo's Rants,

“Bottom line is until we … prove that something’s different, then nothing’s changed.” – Wild coach Mike Yeo prior to Game 1.

Nothing changed. In fact, it got worse.

A year after many in NHL circles felt the Wild very easily could have beaten the Chicago Blackhawks in the conference semifinals, the Wild was eliminated for a third consecutive season Thursday night by the mighty Hawks in a sweep.

The Wild’s stellar second half and first-round elimination of the Central Division champion Blues was long forgotten in the aftermath of a disappointed, dejected locker room Thursday night after the Wild fell, 4-3.

Bottom line about this series: The Wild just wasn’t good enough and better take an honest appraisal this offseason of what it has to do to beat the Hawks, who will go to their fifth conference final in seven years against the winner of the Anaheim-Calgary series. The Hawks are going nowhere and in the new playoff format, it’s likely the Wild faces Chicago in the first or second round every year.

The Blackhawks have finishers. The Wild does not.

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