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Time to Put Up or Shut Up. Can Wild Find a Way to Beat Tougher Teams?

December 4, 2013, 6:47 PM ET [22 Comments]
Brad Ratgen
Minnesota Wild Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Going into last week, after the Winnipeg game, I tweeted that the Wild may likely not win another game all week. Call it a prediction, but the writing was on the wall. The Minnesota Wild is just not that good of a team yet. Sure they can beat teams below them in the standings, they should. One could argue that the converse should then also be true for the Wild i.e. not beating teams above them in the standings. And, while it does not always work out that way, it appears that the odds favor the Wild when playing a team beneath them in the standings as compared to playing a team above them in the standings. As such, the Wild likely have a very tough stretch ahead of them starting with the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.

In the next two weeks, the Wild play the following: Chicago, at Columbus, San Jose, at Anaheim, at San Jose, at Colorado, Vancouver and at Pittsburgh. If the above theory holds true, the Wild can expect to only win a game or two, if they’re lucky.

For me and this team, this is their true test of who they really are and how far they can expect to go this season. It’s time to put up or shut up. No more talk of injuries affecting your team. That’s evidence of lack of depth in the minors and, since all teams have to deal with injuries, I don’t give it much credence. Furthermore, should the Wild qualify for the playoffs, they will have to go up against teams better than them in the standings anyways. It appears that it’s time to see what these guys are made of and how good they really are. At the end of the upcoming two weeks, the front office will be in a better position to address this club’s needs, provided they are still in the playoff picture.

Thankfully, the following two weeks have the Wild playing all but one team that is below them in the standings (at Rangers, at Flyers, at Jets, Islanders, Blues and Buffalo). So, there will be time to make up for a stretch of losing, but how nice would it be to not have to, but rather add to an already strong position by taking it to these teams above the Wild in the standings in the upcoming two weeks.

The schedule for the Wild continues to see-saw through the month of January with a stretch of tougher teams (Washington, at L.A., at Phoenix, Colorado) followed by a stretch of easier teams (at Nashville, Ottawa, Edmonton, Dallas, at Dallas), followed by a stretch of tougher teams (Chicago, at San Jose, at Anaheim, at Colorado).

This type of schedule will not only show what the Wild are made of, but also what the coaching staff is made of and if they are up to putting together winning game plans in either scenario. Sure, most NHL teams can usually beat the teams beneath them in the standings. But, for me, it’s that plus how you fare against teams above you in the standings.

Everyone knows it’s one game at a time. But, no doubt, it should make for an interesting couple of months here folks. Thoughts?
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