PGS: Wild @ DET

By NiNY

If this season was the movie Bull Durham, the Wild - as Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh - announced their presence with authority on Monday night with the win *in* Vancouver. Now they need a curve ball. And a win in Detroit - another building that's given the Wild fits over the years - would be a pretty good way to work on that hook.

Almost everything is going well for the Wild right now. With the exception of Harding's status, and perhaps some inconsistency from the younger defensemen (which, depending on how you look at it, may or may not be a stretch), it's hard to find any facet of their game lacking. Even the national press is starting to pay the Wild some attention.

Wizened Wild or Minnesota sports teams fans can hardly be blamed for being hand shy here. But what if? What if this team is for real? Actually capable of playing to this level on a consistent basis? Are they contenders? Probably not for the Cup. But for the playoffs? Hell to the yes! So why not?

It's the Wild's second appearance on NBC's over-wrought "Rivalry Night". Wooo and stuff.

Numbers
GP MIN 28 DET 29
GF/GM MIN 21st 2.50 DET 17th 2.62
GA/GM MIN 6th 2.43 DET 9th 2.52
PP% MIN 18th 17.2% DET T21st 15.8%
PK% MIN 5th 85.9% DET T18th 80.2%