By NiNY
That's what I'm calling the Staubitz-Peters-Warmish Body triumvirate of power and awesomeness. The Ugly Stick Line. I think it fits nicely with their overall surly demeanor on the ice.
But in deference to the Ugly Stick Line (gotta use it a bunch to try and build up some momentum for the nickname), that which makes them the ugly stick does not include providing the offense on which the Wild needs to peg its playoff hopes.
Unfortunately, on a team nearly bereft of scoring touch at full health, a couple key injuries and whammo! Ugly Stick Line = top scoring line.
That's putting the "ugly" in Ugly Stick.
See on most teams in contention to make the playoffs, a couple key injuries means the 2nd line has to step up. Maaaybe the 3rd. But the 4th line? Either your definition of "a couple" is a little more generous than mine or the team in question is alarmingly low on offensive horses.
But that's not a surprise for the Wild. The surprise was being in a position to be sitting here worried that their chances of making the playoffs was going to die on the vine due to injuries to Mikko and Cal (notice not including Gui "Minnesota Fats" Latendresse with whom the Wild's best chances for success was winning a poutine-eating contest).
So it's still bonus hockey for Wild fans. And, if these injuries do prove fatal to the team's playoff chances this season, maybe the players can distill that disappointment ("man, I KNOW we could have made it! That's just bad luck with the injuries!") into motivation to be even better next season.
I'm not calling the time of death just yet. But, the Ugly Stick Line can only take you so far.
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