from Michael Russo of the Star Tribune,

In the Central Division, it’s never too early to scoreboard-watch; that’s why it was humorous when less than a week into the Wild season, a Wild Xtra blogger tweeted four results from the Central “because we’re sadists.”

With the Wild on what has become an annual oddly-timed hiatus in its schedule early in the season that enables others to artificially pass it in the standings, @masonloft noted that Nashville beat New Jersey, Winnipeg beat the Rangers, Dallas beat Edmonton and St. Louis beat Calgary all on an evening in which the Wild was idle.

In the “new” NHL playoff format that is going into its third season, the top three teams in each division make the playoffs with the next two highest in points in each conference earning wild card spots.

Not shockingly, the Central Division was represented by five teams in each of the past two postseasons, the Pacific by three.

It’s hard to imagine that won’t happen a third year in a row this season.

continued plua a few more hockey notes...