Now I consider myself a fan; I made it a point to watch/attend as many Minnesota Games as possible as I can during the regular season (much to the dismay of my girl.) Coverage here in The Twin Cities Metro area is generally limited to the 2 major newspapers, and maybe a television program here and there. Occasionally one of the local ink-stained wretches will chime in with a column here and there, although it is generally when the team is slumping, or around the Trade Deadline. Other than that, attention pales in comparison to, say, The Minnesota Vikings.

Playoff Time is a different animal; both papers now have extended coverage and features, the wretches contribute Wild-Related columns nearly daily (much to the dismay of the Wild faithful, for the reasons stated above), Sports Radio is now aimed at Wild coverage and subsequently flooded with callers, many of whom desire more consistent attention from said radio station. One could surmise that when the playoff berth (and Division Title) was clinched, everyone climbed aboard the bandwagon. Now that its nearly wall-to-wall coverage of the playoff “run” (depending on the first series, of course), I kind of liken the whole situation to some sort of drug-induced haze.

The games are like hits; time drags until the next one. You crave more, despite the fact that the two overtime games so far (a columnist from the Winnipeg Sun had the gaul to say that the playoff season so far has been boring!) has put you on the edge of agony and ecstasy. One more hit like the two before and there is the distinct chance your heart may just explode. I don’t think that is just the case for those rooting for the Red and Green; I’m sure there are Colorado fans whose lifespans are incrementally decreasing with each passing game. But you want the next fix…all the attention just serves to whet your appetite until the faithful for both sides can hunker down for the next dose. Its like everything about the game is heightened; every hit, shift, shot, save, and goal is put under the microscope; trends are looked for and dissected from these aspects of the game, and then the current opinion of the series changes.

Would we pour over the same things if this was game #32? Game #62? The diagnosis? We have Playoffs on the Brain.

The drama is addicting however, and the junkies in all of us (whether you are a Wild Fan, an Avs fan, or just a hockey fan in general) wouldn’t have it any other way.