Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - Every year in the National Hockey League there are those precious few clubs that thumb their noses at the so-called experts and make the transition from pushover to playoff team.

Last year it was the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens making that leap. After this past offseason there were a scattered group of clubs who some believed could possibly do the same.

Not thought to be among them, however, were the Minnesota Wild, who are in only their third season of existence since being awarded to the Twin Cities in June 1997. But the Wild laid the roots for what they hoped to be a successful campaign this preseason by finishing as the NHL's only undefeated club.

The team then shunned the notion of preseason matches being meaningless by carrying its September momentum into the regular campaign with a Wild-record 7-1-2 mark through 10 games, losing only to the reigning-champion Detroit Red Wings in that time.

Sure the Wild may in fact be a small-talent squad, with a semi-expansion roster that relies on an oft-maligned defensive system, but the numbers speak for themselves. With Jacques Lemaire, perhaps the top defensive guru around, at the helm, they simply cannot be taken lightly.

And nowhere was that more evident than during a recent home-and-home set with perennial power Colorado -- Minnesota's Northwest Division brother. The Wild put a scare into the Avs, who are gunning for their ninth consecutive division title, with a 3-3 tie in Denver last Sunday, but Lemaire's troops really put them on notice two nights later.

In front of a raucous Xcel Energy crowd on Tuesday, the teams again ventured to overtime after Colorado captain Joe Sakic tied things with 13:25 remaining in regulation. But the deadlock would be settled this time around, as Lubomir Sekeras wristed the puck past goalie David Aebischer 3:43 into OT for the win.

Goaltender Manny Fernandez, who has been brilliant in the early going, said that if there was any example why not to underestimate his club, it was the set versus the Avs -- especially that second tilt.

"If they didn't find out how we were playing, didn't come back to try to win the second, I don't know what it's going to take to get them ready for us," Fernandez said of the Avalanche. "Yeah, obviously games are going to get harder and teams are not going to need that loss to come back at us to try and work as hard as they can.

"I think from here on in, every team we're going to play, they're going to be ready. It's just common knowledge. If there's a team that's doing well, obviously you're going to get ready. I think we're ready for that, too. I think we're ready to work hard."

If you recall, however, the Wild opened some eyes last fall as well, only to tumble down the NHL ladder and end up finishing last in the Northwest and 12th in the Western Conference. Minny was the league's last unbeaten club at 3-0-3, but followed that up with a 1-4 slump that set the tone for the remainder of the season.

The Wild experienced horrid months of December, January and Feburary to seal their fate out of the playoff picture. But key injuries to defensemen Brad Brown and Brad Bombardir factored into the club's hard times, and the supposedly defense-minded club allowed the seventh-highest number of goals in the league.

But Brown and Bombardir are both healthy now, and Minny has reverted back to its old stingy ways. Through 10 games the Wild have allowed just 21 goals, and Fernandez has recaptured -- if not bettered -- his form of two years ago. In his first six appearances, the 28-year-old is 6-0-0 with a league-leading 1.48 goals-against average and .949 save-percentage.

Fernandez said Wednesday that his renewed success is courtesy of some tweaks in his mentality.

"I think overall, I changed my mindset somewhere," he said. "Just coming to the rink and having fun, and try to relax a little more. There were a lot of factors. Last year was difficult for me. I think [backup] Dwayne Roloson came in and played real well [in my place]. I was kind of chasing him a little bit. I wasn't concentrating on my game, mostly trying to do better than everybody else."

Fernandez has also had the benefit of a surprisingly effective offensive attack, led by third-year budding star Marian Gaborik. The nifty skater and stickhandler, who scored 30 goals as a sophomore, might just be on his way to a true breakout effort. Although it's early, he's among the NHL leaders in both goals and points, and his six-point showing -- 2g, 4a -- on October 26 against Phoenix gave us a nice peek into what he's capable of.

Gaborik's four assists in that match were especially refreshing when you consider he was primarily a goal-scorer when he came up two years ago. His 37 assists in 2001-02 are evidence that his all-around game has clearly evolved.

"He's awesome. He's got a lot of speed. He sees the play like nobody else in this league," Fernandez said of Gaborik. "It's been great to play with him. When he gets that one goal you really, really need, he gets a game turned around so fast. It's been amazing.

"I don't think he's going to stop any time soon. He's got great skills. I definitely think he's one of the best in the league."

Gaborik has been aided by his grouping with veterans Cliff Ronning and Andrew Brunette on the Wild's top scoring line. Brunette, the team's top free agent signing in 2001, has picked up where he left off during his surprising 2001-02 season, while Ronning, who was obtained this past summer, is the pure playmaker the top unit has lacked.

"He sees everybody. He sees the play," Fernandez said of Ronning. "Obviously, you need a guy like that on the power play. He's the guy to watch out for. He's got a good shot. I know that because I played against Nashville for so long. He's been their key player. Obviously, it's a big addition for us in our lineup.

"Gives a little more room to the Marian Gaboriks and all those guys who need it. Obviously, you have to respect him. Like I said, it opens up a lot more guys out there to feed him on the power play."

Of course, only time will tell whether or not Minny can keep playing as well as it has been, especially on the offensive side of the red line. But with two solid players like Brunette and Ronning, and a rising star like Gaborik paving the way, we'll give the team the benefit of the doubt for now.

And considering where the Wild's expansion brethren of recent history are currently in the NHL landscape, anything positive the Wild can accomplish is a bonus. Just think -- Nashville (entered NHL in 1998), Atlanta (1999) and Columbus (2000) have combined for a mere four wins and 13 points as of press time.

"We do look at Columbus. We do look at Nashville. We do look at Atlanta, different teams like that," Fernandez said. "We look to get a better start than everybody else. We look to get better."