They started their season tonight? You didn't watch? You didn't know Channel 45 broadcast anything besides sit-com re-runs? Shame on you. Shame on me, too, for keeping it a secret.
I don't know why I'm so intimidated by hockey, but I remain so. It's different than the other sports, not quite as mainstream. It's like Indie music, except manly. If you like it and know it and love it, then you probably think you're a better person for it. Because you are. Wait. Scratch all that. I just remembered my childhood, which contains quite the embarrassment involving hockey. Consider this blog my atonement.
The Wild (as well as the Timberwolves) are unknowns this season, with new management, new coaches, and a lot of new players. Not Carl Pavano new. Not Brett Favre new. More like Jared Allen new. It's as good a time as any to start following the forgotten sports in the Twin Cities, though the Twins just made it a good deal more difficult. Check out Star Tribune, the web version, especially whatever Michael Russo writes, to indoctrinate yourself. I hope that bankruptcy thing doesn't get in the way of their great MN sports coverage. Not that you should stop reading this coverage either though :).
Ok, so maybe I've tricked you, as both the Wild and the Wolves aren't going to be very good this year. The Wild have a new system for the first time in their (short) history, and it showed in tonight's game. In both good and bad ways. The good was a back and forth, fast-paced hockey game. The bad was Nicklas Backstrom standing on his head just to keep the deficit at one. The bad was playing Pierre-Marc Bouchard at center, where he can't win a face-off to save his life and will continue to get pushed around by players bigger than him (most everyone). Things will get better though, and if you stick with it, someday you'll understand those last three sentences. Give it a shot, give the Wild a shot, and at least read the Wolves' boxscores. Poor pups.
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