Minnesota Wild Go Streaking, String Together a Few Nice Wins

After a dismal game to finish out the year 2010, the Minnesota Wild almost look ready to start making waves in the ultra competitive Northwest Division of the Western Conference.

After snapping off a three-game winning streak, which matches the best they've done so far this season, the Wild looked poised to try to make something happen.

Unless, of course, the buzzsaw of an upcoming schedule doesn't cut them in half.

Going 7-2-1 over the past ten games is impressive for this club, especially considering they came across six teams that are currently playoff bound and played a home and home series against the Calgary Flames—who, no matter what the standings say, always put up a tough fight against their rival.

Is this a turning point for the Wild?

They are making a solid run to get themselves into a position to take a playoff spot from some other deserving team following the All-Star festivities.

How the Wild keep managing to win these games is the important thing to look at. 

The top two goal scores for the Wild (Brent Burns and Cal Clutterbuck) are not exactly who you would hope to be leading your team in goals at this point of the season: One is a big, strong defense men who you know can step up and contribute offensively when you need it, but you would hope that isn't needed every game; the other is a third line energy guy who hits anything wearing the other teams jersey and gets most of his attention because of his amazing mustache for the man's cancer awareness promotion "Movember."

That is going to need to change if the Wild want to extend this winning streak and have a shot at making a run to the playoffs. The next ten games on the schedule have the Wild meeting another seven playoff bound teams; that will make 14 of the last 20 games against playoff teams. 

If the Wild can keep stringing together these wins, there is a reason to be hopeful in Minnesota yet.

But things need to change. Martin Havlat will need to start netting some goals, instead of passing the puck around like he has been. The return of Pierre-Marc Bouchard will certainly help open some space up for Marty, but he needs to play like he gets paid to and nine goals out of him at this point in the season just isn't enough.

Captain Mikko Koivu is going to need to step up his game as well, with a stat line that reads 10-25-35 just isn't getting it done. For his being a top line player, he just isn't producing like the Wild need him to. Part of that is his line mates without question—playing with Andrew Brunette and Antti Miettinen is bound to make anyone look a little worse than they are.

Considering Bruno is a 37 year old veteran who moves about as slow as molasses in January here in Minnesota and the man nicknamed Mittens by the Wild fans for his soft hands is really a low level second liner.

The next ten games on the schedule are going to tell Wild fans what this team is really made of. With plenty of talent on the roster and two goaltenders who have been playing lights out in net this team has a very good chance to make it run. 

The only question left is whether that talent will translate into wins, which everyone in Minnesota knows doesn't always happen.