October is usually my favorite month of the sporting year. Around this time, the Vikings are usually in first, and I am usually engrossed in the baseball playoffs, which are often beyond beautiful.

This year, though, things are a little different. I’ve only seen three quarters of the Vikings this year and that has nothing to do with the fact that they’re struggling. The baseball playoffs just don’t seem to have the magic to me this year, either. I cannot watch the Atlanta Braves, and no matter how hard I try, I just can’t get myself to like the A’s.

There is one team that has captured my attention, though, and has me dreaming things that really shouldn’t be dreamed at this point.

The Minnesota Wild are undefeated.

Yah, they’ve only played four games, and they’re only in third place, but they’re still undefeated.

I never realized how much I missed the North Stars until the Wild showed up on the scene last year. But then I watched their first-ever home game. It took them two minutes to get in a fight with Philadelphia. The team took the Flyers to overtime, earning a tie against the hated team.

This year, the Wild are showing everybody that ties are for pansies. They have stormed out of the gate, and are the only unbeaten team left in the Western Conference. Take a look at the standings for a second, and notice that the Wild are, in fact, ahead of the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. It’s beautiful.

And it’ll last, too. This team is going places. You may laugh, but the Wild will do some damage. Remember when the North Stars made their run to the Stanley Cup finals in 1991? Lost in six to some guy named Lemieux? That team finished fourth in a five-team division. There is no reason that the Wild can’t do the same thing.

One of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen on ice was last year’s first game between Minnesota and Dallas – Wild 6, Stars 0. It let those Stars know exactly how us Minnesotans felt about them leaving. The perfect revenge.

This year, it’ll go one step further. The Wild will beat the Stars in the playoffs. Just watch. It’ll happen.

I just hope that they won Sunday night against Edmonton, because otherwise this column would just seem foolish.

(Editor’s note: Minnesota 3, Edmonton 3, final.)