Yesterday, I received my playoff invoice from the Minnesota Wild. Playoffs! Usually, in years past, I could just toss it in the garbage and refuse to be leveraged for up-front money for next season. This year, however, is different. This year may be the year that the Minnesota Wild return to the post-season dance. 29 games in, the Wild sit at 36 points, tied with Vancouver in points, but with a game in hand and both teams playing this afternoon. The Sharks visit St. Paul, while the Canucks are in L.A. playing the 4th place Kings who have the same amount of points, 36, as the Canucks and the Wild with 30 games played and 2 more wins than the Canucks (the same as the Wild; 17 wins).

When I first saw the schedule for the Wild that started in Vancouver and then went to Detroit, I thought it looked like the proverbial “meat grinder”. But, the more I look at the upcoming teams, the more I realize that I am basing some of my fears on the past reputation and performances of these other teams and I was looking at the Wild like the Wild teams of the past few years. However, I have come to realize that these other teams that the Wild used to fear are not the same Goliath’s that they used to be and that the Wild are no longer playing the role of David as they try to get more comfortable in their new Goliath-like clothing. So, look for the Wild to play well today against the Sharks and to fare well against the likes of Dallas (even in Dallas, a house of horror for the Wild), Phoenix, L.A. and St. Louis.

Today’s afternoon matinee against the Sharks is a good match-up for the Wild. While San Jose has three players with 20 or more points on the season (Thornton, Marleau and Coture), the Wild have five players in this category (Koivu, Suter, Parise, Setoguchi and Cullen). While it is easy to sing the praises of guys like Koivu, Suter and Parise, let’s take a closer look at the two guys that are making the success of the Wild even more palpable this season: Setoguchi and Cullen.

Devin Setoguchi had a rough start to this condensed season. It was so rough that not only was his name coming up in trade rumors due to his underwhelming performance on the ice, but he also resorted to tweeting apologies to Wild fans for his lack of scoring. Good thing Fletcher and company didn’t pull the trigger on any moves for Seto as he is now totally kicking into high gear and exceeding expectations. Against the Red Wings, he recorded his 18th career multi-goal game and now has 8 points (6 goals/2 assists) in his past 5 games. He has 20 points (11 goals/9 assists) and 2 game winning goals this season, including 18 points in his last 19 games. In fact, only 5 NHL players have more goals than Seto (11) since February 9th. WOW! You can be sure that the Sharks, Seto’s former team, is well aware of his propensity for scoring. And how great does Fletcher look now in the Brent Burns for Setoguchi, Coyle and a 2011 first-round draft pick that the Wild used to select Zack Phillips. #winning. Even Heatley for Havlat doesn’t look half bad as Dany is out-performing Martin, at least this year (17 points compared to 8).

Matt Cullen has 7 points in a 6 game point streak (1 goal/6 assists), has 11 points (1 goal/10 assists) over his last 11 games and is tied for 4th on the Wild with 20 points (4 goals/16 assists). He is plus 7 in his last 11 games and, hopefully, today he could hit the 200 career goal mark to become the 37th American and 9th Minnesotan to join this club. Cullen’s 16 assists this shortened season is on the cusp of shattering his total from the 2011-12 season which, mind you, was a full 82 game season compared to this 48 game season.

But, if you think that is great, check out Patrick Marleau. He just tallied his 400th NHL goal on March 10th and became the 30th player in NHL history to score his first 400 goals all with the same team. Over a year ago, he tallied his 800th NHL point against the Wild in Minnesota on January 10, 2012. WOW, WOW, WOW!!!!!!!

But that was based on years in the past, seasons of old. I say out with the old and in with the new. This season, the Wild are every bit as good as the Sharks, if not better. San Jose averages 2.3 goals per game and 2.6 goals against per game. The Wild average 2.6 goals per game and 2.4 against per game. The Sharks have 66 goals for and 74 goals against this season. The Wild have 74 goals for and 70 goals against. The two teams are very comparable on the power play and penalty kill with the edge going to the Sharks on the power play and to the Wild on the penalty kill given the fact that the game is being played in Minnesota today where the Wild are a bit better of a home PK team than the Shark are on the road as the PK is concerned. Also, the Wild, as you know, are on a bit of a run having gone 4-1-0 in their last 5 games and 7-3-0 in their last 10, compared to the Sharks who are 2-3-0 in their last 5 and 4-4-2 in their last 10. Also, the Wild are better than the Sharks in 2 goal games, trailing after the 1st period, tied after the 1st period, tied after 2 periods and in overtime. Both teams are comparable in all other categories, except for 3 goal games where the Sharks have fared better than the Wild this season.

Both teams should be well rested with both having played their last game on Wednesday. And, while the Sharks are 24-13-2-5 all-time versus the Wild, I look for the Wild to continue their winning ways today, especially given the Wild’s home record this season of 10-3-1, compared to the Sharks road record of 5-9-2. Also, keep in mind that the Wild won last season’s series against the Sharks, 3 games to 1. The Sharks are led by familiar names in Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Logan Coture, Joe Pavelski and Dan Boyle. Marleau leads in goals with 15 followed by Coture with 14 and Pavelski with 7, while Thornton has 23 assists, followed by Pavelski with 10 and Boyle with 9. Meanwhile, Parise and Setoguchi are tied for the goal lead in Minnesota with 11 each, followed by Heatley’s 8, while Suter leads the Wild in the assist category with 22, followed by Koivu’s 17 and Cullen’s 16.

In net, Backstrom is a disappointing 5-10-3 with a 3.03 GAA, a .904SV% and 1 shutout in 18 starts against the Sharks, all-time. But, this is a contract year for Backstrom who has been playing lights out as of late and shaking the cobwebs off against teams like Vancouver and Detroit. Why not continue that trend in today’s came against the Sharks and Monday in Dallas? Recently, Backstrom is 12-3-1 in his last 16 games, posting a 2.11 GAA, a .924 SV% and has allowed 2 goals or less 12 times in that span. Since February 9th, Backy leads the NHL with 12 wins and, at home this season, he is 8-3-1 with a 2.12 GAA and a .916 SV%. Meanwhile, for San Jose, Niemi is 4-1-1 with a 1.98 GAA, a .921 SV% and 1 shutout in 6 starts against the Wild.

The Wild come in to today’s game having won their last 4 games, each by 2 goals or more; a new record for the Wild franchise. Minnesota is 13-5-1 in their last 19 games overall since February 9th and 6-1-1 in its last 8 home games dating back to February 9th having not lost at home since March 12th against the Ducks and, before that, in a shootout to Colorado on February 14th.

Should be fun down at the X today where I will be taking in the game from my seats with my 10 year old Owen. Hopefully, the Wild continue their winning ways today and down the road because, while the Wild are playing teams in the playoff hunt over the next stretch of games, Vancouver has at Colorado, Columbus, Colorado, at Edmonton, at San Jose, Edmonton, Calgary, Phoenix, at Calgary, at Colorado and at Nashville after today until mid-April before they start playing better teams. The Wild’s schedule is the exact opposite where, after today, they play at Dallas, Phoenix, at Dallas, L.A., St. Louis, at San Jose, at L.A., at Columbus, Chicago, St. Louis, Columbus until mid-April. And don’t laugh at Todd Richards and his Blue Jackets. They have gone on a tear as of late and are tied with the Sharks at 32 points for 8th in the West, ahead of Dallas, Phoenix and Nashville currently. It should be a fun stretch from now until mid-April watching the Wild and the Canucks battle for the last Northwest Division crown before re-alignment takes place next season.

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