Positive Numbers: Wild (Last Week: -2). There's very little chance they're going to move from their slot of third in the Central in which they've been in since what seems like The Gilded Age. And I still have a bad feeling they're going to fall flat on their faces in The Stanley Cup Playoffs. But I have to acknowledge they're playing as good as they have all season, and it's even better that they appear to be ramping up just as the postseason is starting, which is the best way to go into the postseason.
They had a busy penultimate Week to the regular season with four Games, but they won all four. They had a close Win Sunday, winning in Detroit, 5-4, but smashed the other three contests (home to Vancouver Thursday, at Ottawa Saturday, and home to Seattle Tuesday) by three-Goal margins. And, to be fair, they are only two Points behind The Bastard North Stars for second. And it just so happens that they face off in Dallas tonight/Thursday night. That begins a final three-Game road trip that continues in Nashville Saturday and finishes in St. Louis Monday. Finally, the last tilt of the regular season is the next night, home versus Anaheim. They could finish with home ice for the First Round series vs. The Team That Was Stolen From Us v.2.0. Not too shabby.
#0: United FC (Re-Entry!). Didn't think it would happen, so kudos to the Loons for finally winning on the road for the first time all Year, and doing it in Carson, Calif., against glamour team The Los Angeles Galaxy. Anthony Markanich scored the first Goal. Marco Reus tied it up for the Galaxy, but Nectarios Triantis fed an endline pass to Kelvin Yeboah for the Match-winner. It is also only the second MNUFC victory at the Galaxy ever.
They still have a grueling portion of the schedule to get through. They continue out west where they play San Diego FC, the team that bumped United FC out of the playoffs last season. I wonder if the XI came back home before flying back out west. ...
#-1: Twins (Last Week: -4). This organization they were so disinterested in winning that home fans have stayed away from Target Field for the first homestand of the Year (the cold weather doesn't help). So of course that would be the time when the club's merry band of youngsters and never-weres rise up and score a 5-2 screening Week. The most impressive Win by a country mile was Tuesday's, when they defeated the Tigers at home, 4-2. Back-to-back defending American League Cy Young Champion Tarik Skubal was on the mound for Detroit, and he struck out seven Twins batters. But he got chased in the Fifth Inning and got the Loss. Skubal issued his first two Walks of the season. Moreover, he got upstaged by ... Taj Bradley, the Pitcher the Twins picked up from Tampa in exchange from Griffin Jax at the Trade Deadline last Year. He went 6 1/3 Innings, walked none and fanned ten. Could pitching performances like that be enough for the Twins fanbase to come back to the stadium and pay good money to the Pohlads, who'll only pocket the cash?
They go for the sweep of the Tigers this/Thursday afternoon. They then travel to Toronto for three over the weekend. They then come back to host Boston for a trio beginning Monday.
#-2: Gopher baseball (Last Week: -5). Dropped the three-Game series at Iowa, although both defeats on Saturday and Sunday afternoon were only by one Run. They took out their frustrations on South Dakota St., whom they destroyed, 16-7, at Siebert last/Wednesday night.
This Week: A Trio at home against Washington for three, then the return home-and-home date with St. Thomas Tuesday afternoon.
#-3: Gopher softball (Last Week: -1). Caught a glimpse of the last Out(s) of Minnesota's 10-1, five-Inning, Mercy Rule verdict on cable in a bar and, quite frankly, I like the fight in these players. Can they keep it up with a three-Game series at Washington?
#-4: Timberwolves (Last Week: -3). While the Wild have been soaring, the Woofie Dogs have been sinking. A 1-3 Week featuring a Win at Indiana against a Pacers team that had none of their most frequent starting 5 playing. That victory clinched at least sixth place in the West, aka an actual playoff spot. But golly, Jaden McDaniels played through a concussion and Anthony Edwards is still out, and may not be 100% by the time the Wolves need him.
Their season ends this screening Week. They finish a three-Game roadie with a road date against Houston tomorrow/Friday night. They then host The Bastard Charlotte Hornets Sunday night ... and then that's it for the regular season.
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