Streaky Minnesota Still on Bubble

At a time when some teams are putting together some awesome win streaks, the Wild are also demonstrating a talent for streakiness. The problem is, they run hot and cold in equal measure.

That means that Minnesota is sitting just out of a playoff spot, spinning its wheels.

"We win four, we lose four," Wild left wing Guillaume Latendresse said. "We need to turn that around. I think we have a really good team, one that's really underestimated, and if we get into the playoffs, we can surprise some people."

Teammate Antti Miettinen agreed, saying, "We feel we can beat any team in this league. And we play well against the top teams. That's not a bad thing, but it's a long road to go."

It's been a bumpy journey already, especially considering the Wild started off the season 3-9, partly the result of getting adjusted to new coach Todd Richards and his more wide-open offense after years of defensive-minded Jacque Lemaire at the helm.

"Early in the season, we weren't playing together at all, we couldn't figure out how to play as a five-man unit," Miettinen said. "Once we kind of learned the system, we've turned it around, considering how badly we started."

"It was a great experience to play there, really amazing, but the media pushes you and everyone in Quebec is a hockey fan, everyone dreams about playing for the Canadiens. They all want your job, they all think they can do it. It's nothing bad, but it's the reality."
-- Guillaume Latendresse on the Relief of Leaving Montreal The Wild is still profiting from the November trade with Montreal that brought in goal-scorer Latendresse. After three points in 23 games with the Canadiens, Latendresse has 24 in 33 games with Minnesota, and he's loving life on a line with Martin Havlat and Kyle Brodziak. He's getting power play time. He's contributing.

Best of all, the pressure of being a Francophone player in hockey-mad Quebec is gone. Latendresse was under the microscope in Montreal, and now he's just one of the guys in Minneapolis, the weight of representing his entire province and his fellow French speakers gone.

"It wasn't going the way I wanted in Montreal," Latendresse said. "This is a good change of air.

"It was a great experience to play there, really amazing, but the media pushes you and everyone in Quebec is a hockey fan, everyone dreams about playing for the Canadiens. They all want your job, they all think they can do it. It's nothing bad, but it's the reality."

Sharks wing Dany Heatley, who knows first-hand how beneficial a trade can be, particularly when it gets a player out of the pressure cooker, said he's enjoyed watching Latendresse blossom in Minnesota.

"I've been watching him on the highlights a lot," Heatley said. "Being in Montreal and being French-Canadian, he got a lot of press, everyone knew who he was, that might be overwhelming. He came in his first year and did really well, but sometimes a change is needed. Now he's got a fresh start in another good hockey city."

Latendresse is no longer a big local name seen as a something of a disappointment. Instead, he's a young player, 22, with a terrific future and he's already shown the ability to carry the Wild for a week or two at a time with his scoring ability.

"He's added a real big spark," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "He's another player who can score, he's a player they believe in, his teammates believe in. And the same thing has happened with Benoit Pouliot in Montreal, he's made a big difference. It's nice to see a trade that helps both teams, helps both players."

Sharks defenseman Rob Blake said that Latendresse makes Havlat better, too, and Latendresse "is why they've started crawling back into the playoff race."

For his part, Latendresse said that he's never had the opportunity to play on a line with a player the caliber of Havlat, and he's loving it, and happy he might have the chance to play with him for a long time.

Meanwhile, center Brodziak is thrilled to have that kind of talent on his line.

"You just give them puck and let them do the rest," Brodziak said. "They find a way to score. It's been fun."