Not exactly the game the Minnesota Wild wanted to head into break with last night's 5-3 loss to the Blackhawks.

First things first though. The Wild did not play their best game for sure, but a lot of that needs to be acknowledged to the great game that Chicago played last night. They dictated the flow of the game, they shut down the passing lanes they were the faster team and they left town with the well deserved two points.

Let's keep in mind the fact that the season is long and there are games that get circled on the calendar before the season and as the season unfolds, as games of greater significance. The results of those games both good and not so good, have a way of shaping the future of the team.

A lot can be learned from adversity and losing last night will serve the Wild well, when they get back to work after their break. Yes, they will have a little bit of a bitter taste in their mouths, but come on let's be serious, they are still up by five points in the standings with a game in hand on Chicago, so it is not all that bad.

It is true that the Blackhawks controlled the good majority of that game last night, but the Wild still had a chance, with Dubnyk pulled, to tie the game. A game that they had no business even being in, given the effort put forth from Chicago.

That says all that you need to know about the 2017 Minnesota Wild. They keep finding a way to stay in each and every game. Yes the result was not the one we all wanted to see, but the fact that they battled through and made it an exciting finish says more than does the result.

I hear the arm chair coaches and GMs out there in the State of Hockey, saying that Boudreau needs to change this or that and this player was bad and this other player was worse. People, there is a reason that the team is doing well, and we all have our opinions and none of us will fully agree with each other and most certainly not with the coaches or GM.

That said the Wild are in the midst of their best season ever, and they have the team that can compete with the very best teams in the league. And last night will be another building block for a team that is looking to make noise in the Spring.

They just got beaten by the team that has been the league's best franchise for the past eight or nine years. The league's best captain, Jonathan Toews led the way, and for the Wild to see that first hand can only be a positive for the Wild, as they look to unseat the Hawks as the West's Best.

Character is not automatic, it is gained over time and through experience. And the greatest character traits are acquired through adversity, not through prosperity. Those that choose to reflect and learn from their defeats, will rise to even greater heights and be better suited to handle future success.

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