I had an internal discussion with myself after finding myself with feelings of discontentment with the 2-1-0 record from last week. Big picture, a team winning two-thirds of the games during a given season will produce 100+ points in the standings, so I’m a tinge disappointed in myself. Perhaps the fact that the Los Angeles Kings have dominated us twice has left me with ill feelings. I felt we could compete with any teams on the schedule this season, except the Kings… and this latest loss just reinforced those feelings.
Despite the loss to the Kings, the Wild did manage four points for the week. I just feel that four ramblings would be for the best for this week’s edition of “The State of Hockey… In The State of Hockey.”
-Los Angeles is the second most populated metropolitan area in the United States, and there are 12+ million people that reside there. Knowing that there are a myriad of things to do in Los Angeles at any given time, the residents may be pulled in several different directions when making their entertainment choices, and weekends must be even more dense with social possibilities. Still, the crowd (albeit I could only see the lower level on my television at home) was way too sparse for a playoff-caliber team on a Saturday night in a city of Los Angeles’ size. Sparse… and pathetic. I may get this lack of attendance if it were on a Tuesday, or even if they came into the contest with a record of 6-16-4… then crowds of this sort make more sense. The spectators that attended seemed about as engaged and excited as one would at the cow judging contest at the livestock pavilion during the local county fair. I have several cities that would have had 100% attendance that would be completely on fire the entire Saturday night if ever afforded the opportunity to host (or re-host) an NHL team: Grand Forks, ND; Hamilton, ON; Duluth, MN; Hartford, CT; Quebec City, QC; Medicine Hat, AB; Dows, IA… I could go on and on here.
-Jacob Middleton is at a +21 this season. This is significant. Well beyond the fact that Middleton’s play has been instrumental in the Wild’s fantastic start, this already is a career year for the defensemen, despite only being 27 games in. Before this season, Middleton was at a +5 overall in 239 games and was coming off a -15 in 2023-24. Middleton also has shown up in purely offensive categories. His thirteen points in the first 27 games of the season have put on the pace for a nearly 40-point season. This is coming from a guy who has broken the twenty-point barrier for a season once. So… is all this a statistical anomaly or a guy who has turned the corner playing for a franchise he truly cares about? Perhaps we need a bigger sample size, but if I were a betting man (which I am), I would say this is the new rule… and not an exception. That’s why Middsy has almost solidified his standing in my Minnesota Wild Circle of Trust… and the unbreakable bond between fan and player… that only the fan has any sort of idea about. It’s beautiful.
-After losing four of their first five overtime/shootout games to begin the season, the Wild turned in two OT wins as of late (Nashville; Vancouver). Their record for games that go beyond regulation was a bit disconcerting to me, but the two recent successes have brought the Wild to a 3-5 record for the season. Great teams win the tight ones, and yes they have won some of these in regulation, but a great team’s resilience is on full display in overtime and shootouts. By all accounts, I am convinced this is a great team… one with the potential to make some real noise in the playoffs. Winning a few more in extra sessions would stamp out my bit of lingering doubt. Another avenue would be to win all games in regulation by four to five goals… either is fine with me.
-I wish we could get some clarity on the reason that Marco Rossi’s name keeps coming up in trade rumors. Where is this coming from? Digging into the subject produces nothing of any sort of real substance… things like Guerin isn’t sold on Marco and has issues with areas in his game to Rossi doesn’t particularly enjoy playing in Minnesota are out there, but this is currently a lot of speculation. All I can say is that Rossi has been instrumental in the Wild’s successful season so far and has more than stepped it up in the absence of other offensive players. Disconcerting…
Results For Week Seven Predictions
Prediction #1: Marcus Foligno decides that getting in a fight last week felt good and he gets into another.
Result: Correct… Foligno decided he wanted to punch Tanner Jeannot in the face.
Prediction #2: With a back-to-back in California this weekend, we will see Fleury in goal, and Fleury will win.
Result: Wrong… We got to see Fleury in net against the Kings, but a win wasn’t in the cards. To her fair, I thought Fleury was going to get the Ducks… and win.
Prediction #3: The Minnesota Wild will not trade for Calen Addison this week. I'm taking a freebie because it has been a dream of mine to include two references to Addison in one writing.
Result: Correct… Nailed it. I’m sure it was tempting, but Guerin resisted the urge. Well done!
Prediction #4: Boldy, Faber, and Eriksson Ek all hit the +10 mark for the season.
Result: Wrong… Eriksson Ek made the cut… Boldy and Faber did not. Just so you know guys… Frédérick Gaudreau is a +10… so something to think about during your self-reflection time.
Prediction #5: Kirill Kaprizov breaks the 40-point mark, Matt Boldy breaks the 25-point mark, Marco Rossi breaks the 20-point mark, and Marcus Johansson breaks the 10-point mark.
Result: Wrong… Paging Marcus Johansson… are you planning on joining the team in doing anything of substance anytime soon? To be fair… your nine points would be impressive… if you were on the fourth line… which is where you belong.
Back-to-back 2-3 weeks… a 23-17 predictor… one that is oh so slowly beginning to lose their credibility in the burgeoning and cutthroat world of hockey prediction making. A man… who is starting to question his abilities to predict even the most simple hockey things. Self-doubt and self-pity… I’m sure that is a great look… right?
Next Week's Five Predictions…
-Even though it bucked me last week… I say that with a four-game week, Fleury gets a win in goal.
-Ryan Hartman begins the week with a -3… it will stay the same or get worse. And I will become more uncomfortable with him making $4,000,000 per year.
-The Wild win another overtime/shootout game before they lose one.
-The Wild will score at least six points in the standings over the week’s four games.
-Jake Middleton ends the week at a +25 or higher.
Non-Hockey Announcement For General Entertainment
-December 10th is Dewey Decimal System Day. I can’t believe celebrating this day hasn’t gained traction. For sure librarians should have had the day off from their work, but this might be counterproductive… since the librarian is the only person that fully grasps this book classification method.