The season has only just begun. The Minnesota Wild are right in the middle of the pack in the Northwest with a 3-3-3 record and nine points. Let's take a look at some NHL power rankings and see how the experts like the look of the 2011-2012 Wild so far.
ESPN has the Wild pretty near the middle of the pack at number 17, sandwiched between the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning. The top teams, as you may expect, are the Washington Capitals and the Detroit Red Wings. With the Wild hosting Detroit on Saturday night, a win may be enough to push them up the rankings past the Florida teams.
The power rankings for FOX Sports at MSN show the Wild all the way down near the bottom of the list at number 24 overall. They don't have a lot to say on the subject, but they note that the majority of Minnesota's games have been decided by one goal. The Wild definitely need to start winning more of those close games, but keeping the score tight indicates they're at least staying solid.
The Hockey News has Minnesota even lower, at number 25 overall. Here's what they have to say:
Wild are third-most physical NHL team (222 hits), but still looking for first two-game win streak of season
Well, third place in hits, at least. And of course, first place in our hearts.
If you want to discuss the Wild with your fellow fans, please point your browsers towards Hockey Wilderness.