MINNEAPOLIS, MIinn – The Minnesota Wild and their fans wanted change, and they got it. Although the changes that were made did not produce the immediate success fans wanted when the major off season moves overhauled of both the front office and the on-ice talent, the Wild suffered a terrible start to the season. The team’s off-season crown jewel acquisition Martin Havlat had just seven points in the month of October, and only one point in the month of November.
When the calendar eventually hit December, something clicked. The Wild went 10-6-0 for the month, and the players started to play Todd Richards hockey. The defensive mistakes that marked October and November were minimized, and the offense became fast and strong. The frustrations of early season miscues melted away as the temperatures dropped in Minnesota, and the Wild began to roll.
Havlat’s fifteen points in December, along with the chemistry he finally found with the linemates GM Chuck Fletcher brought in from Montreal, Guillaume Latendresse and captain Mikko Koivu (11 G, 30A), has helped changed the team’s fortunes. Koivu is on pace to set a personal record for points in a season. The ageless Andrew Brunette also continues his underrated play and sits second on the team with 35 points (13G, 22A). Niklas Backstrom has regained his form from last season, going 9-4-0 in December and bringing his GAA down to 2.57.
While things look to have finally turned around for the team at the half way mark of the NHL season, it seems the more things change, the more they seem to stay the same. Through 42 games last season, the Wild had a record of 21-18-3. Through 42 games this season, the Wild are currently 20-19-3. They have made up some ground in the playoff race, but currently sit in 11th place with 43 points, 8 points behind eighth place Los Angeles.
Still missing are two of the team’s best players in Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Brent Burns due to concussions, the Wild enter January playing against some of the best teams in the league. All four of this weeks games are against playoff teams, including two against the league leading Chicago Blackhawks, one against the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, the other against division rival Calgary, a team the Wild has historically struggled against.
While there is still an entire half season to play, and plenty of time before the Olympic break, the Wild are going to need to best the mark set in December if they plan to make a playoff push. The month of January should give the team a fairly good picture about where they actually are with team development and how they stack up against the rest of the conference. October and November are to be forgotten, and December turned out to be a month to build on.
What happens in the next month and a half will determine if the Wild look to add at the trade deadline, or if they need to sell off veterans and restock on draft picks and prospects.
If nothing else, the new look Wild have certainly shed the long worn tag of a “boring” hockey team.
The author can be reached at bryan.reynolds@prohockeynews.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.