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Can Devan Dubnyk carry the Wild to a Stanley Cup?

ST. PAUL - Nobody hated last month more than Devan Dubnyk's 3-year-old son Nate.The Wild's struggles in March - they were 4-10-2 - meant just one thing to Nate: He wasn't allowed to play the electric drum set in the back storage room at the Xcel ...

Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk (40) watches the play against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., on March 16, 2017. James Guillory / USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk (40) watches the play against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., on March 16, 2017. James Guillory / USA TODAY Sports

ST. PAUL - Nobody hated last month more than Devan Dubnyk's 3-year-old son Nate.

The Wild's struggles in March - they were 4-10-2 - meant just one thing to Nate: He wasn't allowed to play the electric drum set in the back storage room at the Xcel Energy Center.

"That's all he talks about," Dubnyk said. "He's always disappointed when we lose, I think more than anybody, because he doesn't get to go play the drums."

That tradition started earlier this season, according to assistant equipment manager Rick Bronwell.

"It was after a win and Duby was like, 'Can you bring Nate back there?'" Bronwell said. "I took him back there, and of course he went nuts with it, and now every time he comes, he wants to go back there."

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Here's the caveat: Nate is only allowed back there when the Wild win. Which means he didn't see those drums much last month.

That said, when the opportunity presented itself last week, Nate made the most of it.

As members of the media flooded the locker room after the Wild's 5-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on April 2, Nate came charging in with his own agenda. He headed straight for Bronwell - or "Tricky," as almost everyone around the team calls him - knowing he had the green light to pound those drums.

"He beat the crap out of them for like 15 or 20 minutes," Bronwell said with a smile. "I'm sure he's hoping he gets to go back there a few more times this season."

So are the Wild because that means they're winning games. As the Wild open the playoffs Wednesday night on home ice against the St. Louis Blues, Nate's dad will be instrumental in whether or not that happens.

"It's no secret that teams need great goaltending in the playoffs," veteran winger Zach Parise said. "There's no way around it."

When a goaltender gets hot, he can carry a team to a Stanley Cup. That's what happened with Tim Thomas and the Boston Bruins, Jonathan Quick and the Los Angeles Kings, Corey Crawford and the Chicago Blackhawks.

NBC Sports analyst Brian Boucher, an NHL goaltender for more than a decade, believes Dubnyk is in that same class.

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"I've seen it now for a couple seasons for long stretches of time where Dubnyk has been the best player on the ice," Boucher said. "There's no doubt in my mind that when we turn the page and start the playoffs he's a guy that can turn it on."

Dubnyk isn't focused on "carrying a team" as the postseason approaches.

"You can't sit there and say I'm going to go out there and make 50 saves every game for the entire playoffs and win the Stanley Cup, because if I only get 10 shots, I can't do that," Dubnyk said. "It's my job to keep it as simple as I can and focus on the first play of Game 1, whether it's a puck handle or a shot or a breakaway or whatever."

Dubnyk has been one of the best goaltenders in the NHL when he's on his game. He led the NHL in every major statistical category early this season, and despite finishing last month with a 3-8-2 record, he still ranks in the top 10 in every major statistical category.

"He's one of the best goalies in the world," Wild defenseman Matt Dumba said. "We have the utmost confidence in him. We know he's going to make those saves back there. We just have to play a good game in front of him."

"As a team, we had a little slump there last month," winger Nino Niederreiter added. "At the end of the day, we have confidence and trust in him. He is going to help us go far."

That confidence stretches from his teammates to his coaches. Asked if he worries about his goaltender entering the playoffs, coach Bruce Boudreau responded, "Yeah, we always worry about the goaltender. I've got all the confidence in the world in Duby, though, and that's where the worry stops. I think he's going to be great."

Dubnyk has provided reason to be confident as of late. He has won three consecutive starts to finish the season with a career-high 40 wins. The Wild have won four consecutive games and came away with points in seven of their final eight regular-season games.

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"That's who we are as a team," Dubnyk said. "When we do something for 90 percent of the year and something else for 10 percent. I'd probably put my money on the 90 percent."

As for Nate, he will continue to wait patiently until he's allowed to play the drums again. He's hoping that's Wednesday night.

The Pioneer Press is a Forum News Service media partner.

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