After Wild loss to Blues, a question: When does playoff misery end?
Reader Brian Roberts checked in Monday morning with a blast of research that will not improve the moods of Minnesota sports fans but will put into context the last dozen-plus years of playoff futility among the four major men’s professional teams.
He went back to 2000 — the Wild’s first year in the NHL — to look at each team’s playoff history. It’s so bleak that the Timberwolves actually coming out looking the best of all the teams. After double-checking the facts, here is a look at each team:
Timberwolves
Playoff history since 2000: 10-6 at home, 3-12 on the road; 13-18 overall
Last home win: 2004 vs. the Lakers
Most memorable playoff win: 2004 Game 7 victory over Sacramento in Western Conference semifinals at Target Center.
Sobering thought that will make you cringe: Though the Timberwolves have the best home playoff record since 2000 among these four teams, their road record is particularly dismal. And let’s not forget that their last home victory in a playoff game was also their last opportunity to win a win a home playoff game since, you know, they haven’t made it back to the playoffs since then.
Twins
Playoff history since 2000: 2-11 at home, 4-10 on the road; 6-21 overall
Last home win: 2002 vs. Anaheim
Most memorable playoff win: Game 5, 2002 American League Division Series at Oakland.
Sobering thought that will make you cringe: The Twins’ overall playoff record of 6-21 since 2000 is bad enough, but it’s even worse when you consider they were 4-2 in the first six of those games and 2-19 since then. They’ve lost their last 10 home playoff games (one to Anaheim, two to Oakland and seven to the Yankees). Their only two playoff victories from 2003-present came at Yankee Stadium.
Vikings
Playoff history since 2000: 2-2 at home, 1-4 on the road; 3-6 overall
Last home win: 2009 vs. Dallas
Most memorable playoff win: 2004 Wild Card victory at Green Bay.
Sobering thought that will make you cringe: For as great as Adrian Peterson was as a running back, the Vikings won exactly one playoff game during his decade in purple.
Wild
Playoff history since 2000: 13-19 at home, 12-24 on the road: 25-43 overall
Last home win: 2016 vs. Dallas
Most memorable playoff wins: Game 7 over Colorado and Vancouver in 2003 and Colorado in 2014, all on the road.
Sobering thought that will make you cringe: The Wild has had the home-ice advantage in a series three times in its history — 2003 vs. Anaheim, 2008 vs. Colorado and this year vs. St. Louis. The Wild didn’t win any of those series and went 1-7 combined in its home games.
Overall
Four-team playoff total since 2000: 27-38 at home (.415), 20-50 on the road (.286); 47-88 overall (.348)
Sobering thought that will make you cringe: When teams are bad at home and bad on the road, it’s no wonder none of these teams has even made it to the finals/Super Bowl/World Series since 1991.