In 1997, there was a skit on Saturday Night Live where Chris Farley dressed up as “El Nino.” Staged in front of a green screen with storm clouds, Farley boasted about how strong El Nino was and that all tropical storms will bow before El Nino.
After Wednesday night, it appears we can add an Avalanche to that list.
That’s because Nino Niederreiter scored a pair of goals in the Minnesota Wild’s 5-4 overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of the Central division semifinal. As Colorado continuously tried to bury the dagger into the Wild, Minnesota continuously fought back and Neiderreiter was a large part of that with not only his scoring, but his physical presence.
It’s pretty good for a guy most Minnesotans welcomed with puzzled looks last summer when he was acquired from the New York Islanders for fan-favorite Cal Clutterbuck. Heading into this season, the fifth overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft had just three points in 64 career games, but at 21 years old Niederreiter still had potential to become a vital part of a playoff contender.
Such things couldn’t be said about Clutterbuck, who never had a suitable encore to his 34-point (19 goals) 2010-11 season. He was a player on the decline who turned into a moper on the ice and wasn’t dealing out the punishment that Wild fans had grown accustomed to.
By adding Niederreiter, the Wild got some of that back as that potential finally found its way to the ice. With 14 goals on the season, it’s conceivable that the Swiss import hasn’t reached his full potential and could get better along with other young players (Mikael Granlund and Charlie Coyle most notably) who have taken a step forward in the first round of the playoffs.
Perhaps the Wild aren’t meant to win the Stanley Cup this season, but it’s deals like this that have the makings for a bright future.
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Chris Schad contributes to 105 The Ticket and has had his work featured on the Bleacher Report and Yahoo Contributor Network. He serves as the Vikings Lead Writerfor Pro Football Spot. Find him on Twitter @crishad. |