The Minnesota Wild have a chance to reach rare air in Minnesota sports history by winning 10 games in a row.
Minnesota tied the 2006 Wild with a ninth straight win Thursday night over Montreal. Head coach Bruce Boudreau, who we recently profiled as the king of winning streaks, says tying the franchise record is “like kissing your sister.”
“Our job is not done, and we’re going to try our butts off tomorrow,” Boudreau added after Thursday win in Canada, according to Wild.com.
A win for the Wild Friday night in New York against the Rangers would set a franchise record for consecutive victories. If they lose, it’ll hurt. But not like the pain and misery Minnesota fans are usually mired in.
Let’s take a look at how the other teams have done.
The Lynx and Wolves
One of the few bright spots here is the Lynx, who have gone on four double-digit winning streaks since 2012.
- 13 straight in 2012
- 11 straight in 2012 and 2014
- 10 straight in 2013
Their Target Center brethren can barely win two in a row. No joke. The Timberwolves’ first two-game winning streak this season came two days ago. And in nearly 30 years as a franchise they’ve reached double-digit win streaks just twice: 11 in a row in 2001 and 2004 (the latter includes two playoff games).
The Twins
Target Field hasn’t seen a winning streak longer than eight games and the Twins in general haven’t gone on a 10-plus-game winning streak since 2008. Ron Gardenhire’s teams in 2003 and 2006 won 11 straight and the 2008 Twins went on a 10-game run.
It seems like a lifetime ago that Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano were dominating on the mound while Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau were crushing at the plate, fueling the 2006 Twins to 36 wins in 42 games.
And the Vikes?
The Vikings? They barely count since winning 10 straight in the NFL is nearly impossible, although they did win 12 straight in 1969.
Losing sucks
“It’s like dying,” Kirby Puckett described the 1991 Twins’ 15-game winning streak coming to an end, according to the Star Tribune. “You know it’s gonna happen. The only questions are when and how.”
Our advice: Let Friday’s Wild-Rangers game soak deep into your soul. If they win, repeat that when they go for 11 straight next week.
If they lose, it might feel like dying, but at least you’ll be able to savor a rare sweet feat for a Minnesota team.
