Gaborik sits while team struggles

By Michael Russo, Star Tribune

Last update: November 14, 2007 - 9:26 AM

CALGARY, ALBERTA - Marian Gaborik knows how important he is to the Wild.

He's seen the raw data: Last season, the Wild was 33-9-6 when he played, 15-17-2 when he didn't. This season, prior to Tuesday's game against the Flames -- one in which Gaborik missed his fifth game in seven and third in a row because of a groin injury, the Wild was 8-2-2 when he played, 1-3 when he didn't.

Asked if he felt pressure to play, especially after seeing outcomes like Sunday's 4-2 defeat at Colorado, a game in which he could have made a difference, Gaborik said, "Of course."

But Gaborik maintained that unless he's 100 percent, he doesn't have confidence to push off and is worried he'd further aggravate the injury.

"It's hard to watch the guys working and you can't go out there and help," Gaborik said. "Of course, I'd love to play every game. I want to go out there and help the team. But when I'm close to 100 percent, I help the team and also feel good about myself."

Gaborik skated hard Tuesday morning and said he's shooting to return Thursday in Edmonton.

"That's the best I've seen him skate since he got the injury," coach Jacques Lemaire said.

Lemaire made clear it's Gaborik calling the shots, not him. Told Gaborik said the "coach decided" he couldn't play Sunday at Colorado, Lemaire laughed so hard, he turned red.

Gaborik says the injury continues to improve.

"The first three strides are better than the fourth or fifth," Gaborik said. "That's when I feel it because my first two or three strides are short. When I totally extend my legs, that's when I feel it. It was a good skate today. The main thing for me is to get confidence in it."

Veilleux is held out

It certainly wasn't left wing Stephane Veilleux who decided he couldn't return Tuesday from a broken cheekbone.

Veilleux, who practiced in a full Itech college-type face shield, wanted to play. But the Wild is holding him back until possibly Thursday.

"Getting better every day. I'm good to play," said a disappointed Veilleux, whose "bird cage" is being shipped to Edmonton.

Said Lemaire, "He wants to play. He wants back in. That's good. It says a lot about him."

With Veilleux out, 26-year-old Aaron Voros played his second NHL game. Voros hopes to last until Friday's game in Vancouver, where he was born and raised.

"I'm keeping my fingers crossed," Voros said.

With back-to-back games, at the very least, Voros should travel with the Wild to Vancouver as insurance.

Following Sheppard

Rookie James Sheppard's father, John, and two sets of friends and their sons have traveled to western Canada to watch the rest of the Wild's road trip.

Tuesday's game was the first John, an engineer in Halifax, Nova Scotia, has seen James in an NHL uniform in person.

"He's always enjoyed watching me play, but this is a lot bigger than junior games," Sheppard said.

Speaking of juniors, Sheppard still pays close attention to his old Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team, Cape Breton, who at 17-5-2-2 is ranked first in the Canadian Hockey League (QMJHL, OHL and WHL).

"We lost a lot of good players last year," Sheppard said. "We lost three of our top defensemen, three of our top scorers. I've got to hand it to them -- good job.

"Since my buddies are on the bus half the time anyway, I check in with them all the time."

Michael Russo • mrusso@startribune.com

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