Game #31: Minnesota Wild at Calgary Flames, Saturday December 18, 2010 at 9:00pm CST, Pengrowth Saddledome [GAME PREVIEW]

Imagine my lack of surprise upon reading an article on the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s website this morning discussing the topic of “adversity.”  It seems that at yesterday’s practice, the team spent a portion of the time talking about what went wrong during Thursday’s game against Ottawa.  Some players provided their own thoughts, while others took direct questions from Wild head coach, Todd Richards.  That’s all well and good, but what bothers me (and probably most fans) is that we’ve heard not only a lot of talk this season, but it seems we’ve heard this very discussion before.  What bothers me even more, is that the fans can tell you exactly what is wrong: lack of focus, lack of urgency, and complacency bordering on apathy.  Just one of those things on a consistent basis can easily derail a season, but all three together at one point or another is pretty much a recipe for disaster.

The first person I’d like to really, truly step up to the plate is Wild captain, Mikko Koivu.  Let me preface this by saying that I have never been happy with his selection as captain, and I still don’t believe he is ready for the job.  I would love to see him more vocal and animated on the ice as well as the bench.  Perhaps if he took more of that vocal role, he just might see an increase in his own offensive output.  I compare it to when I was in college.  When preparing for exams, not only would I study on my own, but I would study with others.  I would re-write my notes.  I did whatever it took to make sure I knew the material.  And guess what, I usually did well on those exams.  Now I realize, Koivu is a Finn.  Finn’s, as well as most Scandinavian and Nordic people, tend to be rather reserved, bordering on cool.  However, I would like to see him get hot from time to time about something, like a sauna gets steamed up when the water is thrown on the coals.  Emotions tend to rub off on those around us.  Perhaps if his teammates saw more emotion from their leader, the complacency would go away.

The next person who needs to man up, is Wild General Manager, Chuck Fletcher.  Recently, he made a promise that if things didn’t change, he would make the changes himself.  So far, that has been an empty threat.  We have yet to see change from much of anyone, with the exception of perhaps Martin Havlat and Brent Burns.  I realize the Wild have little to bargain with and even less salary cap space.  However, that doesn’t change the fact that Fletcher has almost seemed quiet about his threat.  Is it possible that he’s taking the Zen approach in that silence and nothingness is sometimes more powerful than threats and action?  Sure, however I doubt many (if any) of the Wild players follow a Zen path in life.  It’s time for Fletcher to rock the boat, even if it’s just making a few subtle threats.  Sometimes that’s just enough to make a person regain their focus.

And finally, the last of my trio that needs to step up is that of the coach, Todd Richards.  I don’t know what it is about the man, but like I still don’t believe that Koivu is the man to be captain, nor was he ready, the same can be said for Richards.  Richards seems more like an assistant coach than the top guy.  We rarely see genuine emotion from him during the games, and more often than not, it’s just kind of a blank look.  Sure, former head coach Jacques Lemaire wasn’t one for wearing his heart on his sleeve, but you could look at that man and pretty much know what he was thinking.  He had the sarcastic, disbelieving look.  He had the look that could skin a dead horse.  And in a Zen sort of way, sometimes a look is more powerful than a verbal diatribe.  Just like NHL enforcers sometimes take boxing lessons, perhaps Richards needs to either take acting lessons or enroll in an improv class during the off-season. 

I said earlier in the season when the sell-out streak ended, that there’s a fine line between anger and apathy.  The fans are getting closer and closer to that apathetic state.  If the players can’t find a way to break out of their “funk” the fans will stop caring.  Sure, there are the die-hard fans such as myself, however we all know that any professional sports franchise needs those casual fans to help fill their venue.  When the casual fans stop caring, the die-hard fans can get bitter.  Successful teams make for happy fans.  It’s time that the players, coaching staff and management figure that out.

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