41 if you include the fact that we don't care

Wild were excellent tonight against the Preds. Lots of, "Ohh-la-la, we're finally getting the style of hockey they promised in the off-season!" in the aftermath.

Well... it was the Preds. Always a crap shoot because both teams have been similarly mediocre for so long. IMO, the Wild haven't won against the kind of elite teams that really provide a valuable litmus test.

So, for now, I'll just be on the Latendresse Bandwagon, but remain cautiously optimistic about the Wild on the whole.

That said, great game by Shep, who only played because Clutterbuck is still battling the flu. Seems like they're handling him properly now. Not only changing positions to wing but also sitting him several games lately. Nothing like "time to think" eh? Here's hoping it sticks.

Harding was in goal and played very well, but his second goal was just awful. Didn't hug the post on a sharp-angle chance and the puck bounced off and over his arm and into the net. It's the kind of goal where, if I did that, someone on my team (or the ref) would come over and say, "Hug that post, Heather."

Yeah. I know.

Sometimes you get caught between decisions. And that's how you get beat short side in close.

Anyway, I keep hoping for Harding to have good games so he'll get traded and Brusty can come home. People keep trying to use logic on me, telling me it's unlikely and the team needs Harding, as Khudobin and Dubie aren't reliable back-ups for Backstrom. Blah blah blah.

Well, look, smarty-pantses, lemme tell you where you can stick your logic. This isn't about logic. Logic is for GMs and Assistant GMs and people without a sense of humor or lacking in the kind of passion that makes us willfully illogical sometimes.

My job is to look for hope, invent hope, even if it's crazy and misplaced and obsessive. And I think I do that pretty well. So, you know, don't fuck with my process.

And on a similar note, allow me to take off my jaunty reporter's fedora to speak from the heart about the Aeros for a moment. (Update: If you want the "fedora-on" version, Andrew did a great job of it here.)

It occurred to me today that it would be awfully nice if the kind of machinations the Wild have gone through to improve the parent club (trades, pick-ups, etc.) would trickle down to the Aeros. If they really believe that part of developing players is winning, they're going to need to get someone in who can *spark* this team.

What we seem to have in Houston is a bunch of very GOOD men. Quality individuals, with a great work ethic, who are buying into KC's system, and playing their hearts out. But nobody is sparking this team.

Nobody is sparking this team offensively, nobody is doing it with energy/fighting (think Mitch Love). This team is a Toyota Corolla. It's reliable and efficient, but rarely any fun.

And there's part of me that wonders, if people aren't having fun watching them, are they having fun? Are they inspired? Or is it as much hard work and mediocrity as it looks like from the stands?

And moreover, is there something GM Jim Mill could do to shake up the club? We're over 1/4 of the way into the season and it already feels like a plodding chore to watch them, and even worse to write about them.

I fell asleep twice today trying to watch the archive of Friday's game in San Antonio. Granted, I already know what happens, but I'm trying to find SOMETHING to rekindle my own passion for the team, so I want to watch anyway. I don't think I even got through the second period.

It's no knock against the players though. They don't build the team and they're doing their best. But when I'm having more fun watching the Everblades online than the Aeros in person, well... Houston, we have a problem. Because I fucking LOVE hockey, and I love it in person even more.

What's more unbelievable, I've taken a liking to Kalus because at least he lends an air of unpredictability and fire, even if he is a screwball. If I were creating a color-coded Aeros Boredom Warning System, the very worst level, RED, would be called, I HEART PETR KALUS. Currently, I'm at ORANGE: MAYBE DUBIE ISN'T SO BAD.

Send help.

I've been looking for 2 years for an excuse to use this Tragically Hip tune about a relationship gone off the rails. Seems perfect tonight.