The Wild, Wolves and importance of a defined identity in the playoffs

It's easy to forget more than six months after the fact that the Wild started this season by giving up 20 goals in their first three games, all losses.

The team that began the year trying to outscore its way to another 100-plus points season quickly gave way to the team the Wild has become: One that can outlast an opponent in a 3-2, double overtime playoff game with hustle, grit and goaltending.

Rebuilding their identity was a daunting task, but it was a necessary one for the Wild for two main reasons: Overachieving on offense last season combined with the Kevin Fiala trade meant goals were going to be harder to come by this year; and if you want to succeed in the playoffs, which the Wild did not do last year or the year before, it often requires winning close games with thin margins for error.

And indeed, as I talked about on both parts of Tuesday's Daily Delivery podcasts, the most significant difference between what we saw from the Wolves on Sunday and the Wild on Monday is this: One team started to cultivate a playoff-worthy identity early this season, while the other is still searching to find its style and strengths.

For the Wild, that has meant valuing the puck and not making careless mistakes while leaning on balanced scoring (outside of Kirill Kaprizov) and goaltending.

On Monday, Kaprizov scored first for the Wild, who were 23-1-2 in the regular season when leading after one period. Sam Steel had a critical tying goal later. Brock Faber made a fabulous game-saving play. And Filip Gustavsson made 51 saves.

Steel, Faber and Gustavsson were all making their playoff debuts, but nothing about their play was surprising in the context of the season. Winning Game 1 guarantees nothing for the series, but it puts the Wild in a great spot.

The Wolves on Sunday, meanwhile, seemed stuck in the mud with an offense that managed just 80 points. They can't seem to decide whether they want to be a pick-and-roll team or a free-flowing offense. Their best asset tends to be defense instead of offense, but their concentration on defense — particularly in transition — remains inconsistent.

They have been unpredictable all year, losing to the worst teams while surprising with strong performances when they seem to be fading. To that end, it would not be shocking to see a much better Wolves effort in Game 2 on Wednesday.

But resilience is an attribute, not a style of play. If you haven't figured out what you're good at by this time of year — or won't commit to it — you are likely doomed.

I'll be watching Wednesday to see if the Wolves are any closer to finding an identity, but when I flip over to the Wild game I'll know exactly what to expect.