Two division road wins and sole possession of 1st place in the Western Conference has the Wild flying high as they begin the second half of the 2016-17 season. It has been an absolute about face for this years' Wild from the 2015-16 Wild team that could not buy a win last January.

The personnel has not changed very much at all, outside of the free agent pick ups Eric Staal and Chris Stewart. Stewart is not exactly new either as he of course played in Minnesota in 2015 after being acquires from the Sabres.

Many of the hockey experts had both of those signings as suspect at best for the Wild, a team strapped by living at the top of the cap. Well as it turns out those moves are paying off handsomely, as Staal leads the Wild in scoring and has given them the true number one center they have been lacking forever. Stewart is a character guy that brings size and scoring ability to a fourth line that is quickly becoming a serious force for the Wild.

The NBCSN guys love to talk about Staal and are amazed that he is having the resurgence this season. They keep saying that he has rededicated himself and worked hard to make everyone forget the last couple of seasons. I am not going to discount that, but it is far more than that. Eric Staal has always been a solid professional and to imply that he was either out of shape or just not working hard enough is just plain silly.

Eric Staal was mired in a bad situation in Carolina as the team was transitioning and with his contract about to expire there was a lot of uncertainty. The eventual trade to New York never panned out as he was moved around right from the start and ultimately shifted to the wing. It is no wonder he did not produce, but in the end that turned out to be fantastic for the Wild, as they got the number one center they have so desperately needed at a price they could afford given their cap constraints.

The team is playing well for sure, but it is still just mid January and there are 40 games still to play over the next 3 months. Many of those games will be played in the condensed portion of the schedule in February and March as the Wild still have their bye week and the upcoming All Star break. The good news is that 23 of those 40 will be played in the friendly confines of the Xcel Energy Center where the Wild have only lost four times all season.

Here in the state of hockey there tends to be the "waiting for the other shoe to drop" feeling when it comes to Minnesota sports teams. Due in large part to the high hopes given to them all too often by the Vikings, Twins, and Wild only to have those hopes and dreams crushed along the way.

I do understand that feeling but I don't buy into it at all, because there are a lot of other fan bases that can say the same thing. My feeling is take each season as it stands and enjoy the ride as it is happening. Sports are a fabric of our society and hockey is the fabric of Minnesota. The Wild are on a Wild ride and they have worked their way up to this point. Four straight seasons in the playoffs. Some great playoff series' and some not so great in those years, but through it all they have been gaining valuable experience that has shaped them, allowing them to become a more resilient and confident team.

This Wild team is legit, and no I don't anticipate them continuing at the torrid 17-1-1 pace that they are currently riding, but I do anticipate them competing for the top spot in the division and Western Conference right down to the wire.

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