A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, Minnesota was a place to be in the landscape of sports. With Kevin Garnett dominating the hardwood, Randy Moss burning secondaries and a admirable group of underdogs conquering the American League Central on a yearly basis, life was good for the Minnesota sports fan even if the status quo was make the playoffs, lose in first round and repeat.
Things have changed since then. The Vikings can’t find a quarterback, the Twins are searching for a way to avoid their fifth straight 90-loss season and even though Ricky Rubio applied for an air traffic controller license to play with his new teammates, it may take a while to contend in the rugged Western Conference.
But as “Bang on the Drum” sounds a lot like The Imperial March to many Minnesota residents, the ice is a comfort zone as the Minnesota Wild get ready for their season opener. The Wild not only have the imagination of the “State of Hockey,” but they have the firepower to make those dreams a reality.
With front-line stars in Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, the Wild have surrounded them with young talent. Nino Neiderrieter and Mikael Granlund became household names during the longest playoff run the state has seen in a decade and there seems to be more talent on the way with Matt Dumba and Jason Zucker making the opening night roster.
The Wild also has the advantage of being the most likeable team in the Twin Cities at the moment. The team hasn’t shown up in the police blotter recently, and the team’s never say die attitude in a seven-game victory over the Colorado Avalanche last April helped the public embrace them through a six-game elimination by the Chicago Blackhawks.
This has all the hype pointed to the Xcel Energy Center on Thursday night when the Wild host the Avalanche once again. This is not just a team that fans dream about hoisting the Stanley Cup, it’s a team that could actually make that happen.
Of course that requires advancing out of a brutal Central Division that saw every rival get better over the offseason, but it was a feat they accomplished a season ago and the Wild feel like they can take another step forward after gaining that experience.
As the dark ages may finally be coming to an end as the other young talent in Minnesota starts to rise, the Wild are the first to step up to the table and save a state craving for a championship.
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Chris Schad contributes to 105 The Ticket and has had his work featured on the Bleacher Report and Yahoo Contributor Network. He serves as the Vikings Lead Writerfor Pro Football Spot. Find him on Twitter @crishad. |