Wild 2013: The Wait Is Over

Minnesota Wild (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now where were we when we were so rudely interrupted?  Oh, yes . . 

Welcome to the most anticipated NHL season in Minnesota Wild history, made even more so by the recently concluded lockout.

You remember last season, under first-year coach Mike Yeo, where the Wild started out spectacularly good at the beginning, then took a just-as-spectacular nosedive that ended with their missing the playoffs again.  Well, owner Craig Leipold did something about that over the summer, throwing a July firecracker over the rest of the NHL with the signings of free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to megalong, megabucks contracts.

The Wild will belatedly open their season Saturday, January 19 at home against the Colorado Avalanche, as part of the made-for-TV "Hockey Day In Minnesota".   With a 48-game schedule against Western Conference opponents that runs from January to late April, this time there's no margin for error.  One long winning streak can send you into the playoffs.  One long losing streak can take you out of it.

That means more goal scoring from Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Dany Heatley and Mikko Koivu, in addition to Parise and Suter.  That means a better year in the nets for Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding.  And that means improving the power play, staying out of the penalty box, and staying healthy--something that would be more difficult to do in a shortened season.

This is not the year for the Stanley Cup to take up residence in Minnesota, because there are already too many teams with more talent and playoff experience than the Wild do.  But this shortened season can be a good first step towards becoming a team that can do more than just get by on a seventh or eighth place finish.
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Since the lockout ended, the NHL and its teams have been on an apology tour of sorts.  Everyone from commissioner Gary Bettman to the players on the ice have been telling anyone who will listen how truly sorry they were for screwing up the season.  You'll notice, of course, that they've stopped short of saying that they'll never do it again.  Some fans will claim that (in the words of Taylor Swift) they will NEVER EVER EVER go to a game again.  But most will take the NHL back, because it's hockey.  And the NHL knows it.

A couple of reminders:  In case anyone's forgotten, the Los Angeles Kings are the defending Stanley Cup champions.  And the Phoenix Coyotes are still in the league, still waiting for a buyer.  Here's who we see as the next contenders to the Kings' throne come May:

Eastern Conference:  Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers.

Western Conference:  Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild, Phoenix Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers.