Somebody asked me yesterday: How’s hockey season going? I had to pause. Hockey season… Oh! That’s right, the Wild are in month No. 2 of this 2016-17 season. It can get lost in the shuffle when a team has oodles of days off.
Earlier this season, I wrote about back-to-backs in the schedule. Now, I guess it’s logical that I write a bit of a grumbling post about this extended break the Wild have in early November. The Wild have three games in 12 days. So far it’s been two losses before their game tonight. Their last win was Oct. 29 with a 4-0 victory over Dallas at home.
Hey, at least the weather around here has been nice. So I hope everyone has gotten out to enjoy it.
I realize again that this isn’t much of a productive piece, exactly. Schedules are what they are and teams and fans can’t change them. As much as sports fans like to complain about the quirks in the calendar, I’m pretty sure no one really envies the schedule makers either.
The benefits of a long break:
Guys can get a chance to heal from any nagging injuries. For some of the minor ones, it could mean less games missed. Not playing a bunch of games right together gives the body a little break, too.
Breaking in Bruce. There’s a learning curve that comes along with a new coach. Bruce Boudreau has made his presence felt already, but it’s a long season and there’s more work to be done so he can get to know his players and find the best formula.
The disadvantages of a long break:
Just don’t even look at the standings. Seriously, it has to be frustrating to sit idle while the rest of the teams in the league continue on with their games. Especially in the Wild’s case right now, since they lost their lost two games in regulation.
I seem to remember this issue of being behind in the games-played column happened last year, too, thanks to another early break. I’d check the standings and it seemed the Wild were always two, three, four games behind the rest in their division. Yes, I know all teams play 82 games and each game is worth two points. Things even out. It’s more mental than anything. Still, it’s hard not to think about.
It’d be logical to assume that these days off are so much worse when the momentum is the losing kind. So much time to dwell on the loss. On the other hand, it might be tough to have a win and then be disappointed that the positive momentum comes to a halt with a bunch of off days.
Anyway, hockey will be played again, so fear not. The Wild face off against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins tonight on the East coast. Plus, there’s always other hockey games on TV to watch on Wild off nights.
I guess I’m wondering if other people have thoughts about this schedule thing. Am I just making a big deal about nothing? Or is it a big bummer to have so much time in between seeing Bruce and the boys on the bench? What do you think are the pros and cons of these schedule quirks? I welcome your thoughts.
If nothing else, it seems to me this is a talking point. When there’s no game to talk about.
This was originally posted at WildXtra.com
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