Wild GM: Gaborik needs to do more than score

By Michael Russo and Judd Zulgad, Star Tribune s taff w riters

Last update: April 16, 2007 - 9:47 PM

Asked Monday about the lack of success of his "big guns" in the Western Conference quarterfinals, Wild General Manager Doug Risebrough would only talk specifically about right winger Marian Gaborik, who has a goal and an assist in three games in the Anaheim series.

"The challenge we've had with Marian specifically is to get him to understand the room he can get during the season is not going to be here in the playoffs because good teams try to take away the strengths of other teams, and one of our strengths is Marian," Risebrough said.

"He's got to understand that you have to be successful in other areas, and that doesn't always just translate in scoring chances, especially in one-goal games. He's tried to work, but it's working in a way to be effective, and ultimately there isn't a lot of satisfaction sometimes in those types of games. He needs to understand that if he wants to be considered a top player."

Gaborik, who had no shots in Sunday's Game 3, finished third in playoff scoring in 2003 with 17 points. Asked what was different then, Risebrough said Gaborik "was an unknown. [Colorado] had the [Peter] Forsberg, they had the [Joe] Sakic, they had the [Milan] Hej- duk, so they weren't that concerned about Marian Gaborik. Some of the things we did to those three, he's getting done to him now."

Asked if he's disappointed with the other "big guns" such as Brian Rolston, Mark Parrish and Pierre-Marc Bou- chard, who have combined for one assist, Risebrough said, "I'll save that for the end. It's a question I don't want to answer right now."

No room

After scoring five of the Wild's nine goals against Anaheim in four regular-season meetings, Bouchard has yet to be credited with a shot in this playoff series. Bouchard pointed out Monday he hit a post in Game 2 and felt he should have been given at least one shot Sunday. "They are playing a solid game out there," Bouchard said of the Ducks. "There's not much room. We tried to get some shots on net; it's not that easy."

Rough day

Wild coach Jacques Lemaire noted after Monday's practice that his players "were not sharp" and "were down a bit." This was relayed to Parrish.

"We're not going to be happy-go-lucky," he said. "Everybody is a little disappointed, but I don't think you need to take anybody's shoelaces away."

Making the best of it

After being able to get the line matchups he wanted in Anaheim because the home team has the last change, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle did not have that advantage Sunday.

This meant Gaborik and Pavol Demitra could occasionally get away from the Ducks' checking line and go against Anaheim's top unit (Chris Kunitz, Andy McDonald and Teemu Selanne). The Ducks trio fared well; Gaborik and Demitra didn't muster a shot.

"Andy McDonald, Selanne and Kunitz are a pretty effective grouping," Carlyle said. "They've played against top lines throughout the course of the season. ... Some nights they don't have to play against the other teams' top lines, some nights they do."

Etc.

• Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin, who lost teeth and had stitches put in his chin after taking a shot to the face Sunday, is probable for tonight's game, Carlyle said.