The Minnesota Wild have made it through the first quarter with a 12-7-2 record, 26 points and third place in a tight Central Division. With just two points and a lot of tiebreakers separating second through fifth place, there’s certainly plenty of time for things to change.
Generally by American Thanksgiving, teams at the bottom of the standings are going to stay put, barring major changes to the roster and front office. Games against those teams are where standings points should come easy — should, of course, because sports are unpredictable by nature.
The good news is that the Wild are banking points early against teams they should be winning against.