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Minnesota (23-20-3) went 6-4-1 in its final 11 games before the All-Star break, winning three of the final five games to position itself in ninth place in the Western Conference, just two points shy of a playoff spot. The strong close by the Wild, who opened the season 6-0-1, partially canceled out a dismal stretch between November and December when they went 4-9-1, including a six-game losing streak from Dec. 5-17.
Toronto (17-22-8), meanwhile, was hoping to make some strides this season, but appears likely to miss the playoffs for a fourth straight season. The 17 wins for the Maple Leafs - 11th in the East - before the All-Star break were their fewest since totaling 14 in the 1997-98 season.
"We're not as tough and robust as I'd like to see our team," coach Ron Wilson told the Maple Leafs' official Web site. "But that's going to be a process that we're going through over the next couple of years as we try to make ourselves ... more competitive."
Minnesota (23-20-3) went 6-4-1 in its final 11 games before the All-Star break, winning three of the final five games to position itself in ninth place in the Western Conference, just two points shy of a playoff spot. The strong close by the Wild, who opened the season 6-0-1, partially canceled out a dismal stretch between November and December when they went 4-9-1, including a six-game losing streak from Dec. 5-17.
Toronto (17-22-8), meanwhile, was hoping to make some strides this season, but appears likely to miss the playoffs for a fourth straight season. The 17 wins for the Maple Leafs - 11th in the East - before the All-Star break were their fewest since totaling 14 in the 1997-98 season.
"We're not as tough and robust as I'd like to see our team," coach Ron Wilson told the Maple Leafs' official Web site. "But that's going to be a process that we're going through over the next couple of years as we try to make ourselves ... more competitive."
