Wild Lose Fifth in a Row as They Head Into 2016 Playoffs

Following a six-game winning streak where the Wild looked unstoppable, the team has since looked uninspired and lost while losing the next five as they head into the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.

The Wild finished the 2016 season with a 38-44 record and 87 points, the lowest total of any playoff team in the NHL’s shootout era. If that's not enough to make you shake your head, just think of what's going through the coaches' heads.

Interim coach John Torchetti has to be just as confused as the fans, and wondering which team will lace-up and skate against the Central Division winning Dallas Stars in the first round of the playoffs: The team who looked sharp and hungry prior to March 31st when they'd beaten tough opponents like LA and Chicago twice, or the squad who lost to three Canadian squads who couldn't make the post-season?

It's been a struggle all year long finding an identity for a team that's both lost their head coach and been rumored to have a divided locker room among the veterans and younger players.

And we're supposed to be excited to start the playoffs this Thursday against a team that led the NHL with 267 goals?

This season the Stars beat the Wild in four of their five meetings, including three overtime victories. Minnesota beat the Stars, 2-1, on Jan. 9 in Dallas, and the only game in the series that was decided by more than a goal was Dallas’ 6-3 victory on Dec. 21 in St. Paul.

So, for those of you who were excited about the chance of possibly facing the Blackhawks so we could finally knock them out of the playoffs for a change... yeah, it's gonna be harder not to lose via-sweep for the second year in a row to even force a rematch.