Friction builds between Lemaire, Gaborik

The Wild coach has reduced his star's playing time and says he must improve his work ethic. The right winger says he's trying.

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: January 8, 2008 - 7:52 AM

DALLAS - This is becoming an almost daily occurrence. Monday morning, before the Wild played the Dallas Stars and two days after Marian Gaborik was a minus-3 in Nashville, coach Jacques Lemaire implored him to "work harder."

"The skilled players, sometimes they want to use only their skills," Lemaire said. "But in today's game, the guys are too good, they work too hard. It's not only your skill that's important. You have to work with that skill. And work and work and work harder.

"Gabby's working, but it's not hard enough -- plain and simple. It's got to be harder. He does that, you add his talent, he's going to have a better chance of success."

Before Monday, in the seven games since Gaborik's five-goal game against the Rangers, he scored three goals, three assists and was a minus-8. In three of the past six games, Gaborik's ice time had been reduced -- 15 minutes, 39 seconds at Dallas, 14:28 against San Jose and 14:39 in Nashville. Lemaire said he played less than that.

"He played less than the other two because I wasn't satisfied the way he played," Lemaire said.

Friction is clearly building between Lemaire and Gaborik. Asked about Lemaire's assertion that his work ethic must improve, Gaborik said: "You want to play more than you're playing. It's up to them. I try to go out and play my best games. Sometimes, it just doesn't work. There's 82 games. Sometimes you don't feel as good. Sometimes, of course, there can be a little more effort.

"But when you're out there more and more, you get into the tempo, you get into the flow, you feel much better."

Earlier this season, GM Doug Risebrough told Gaborik he needed to learn how to manage his groin injuries -- i.e. not going full tilt every shift. Gaborik says he's trying to do that. Asked if he's misconstruing that for lack of effort, Lemaire laughed.

There's a difference between managing injuries and playing smart, Lemaire intimated, meaning Gaborik can play it safe but backcheck hard, support his linemates and take shorter shifts.

"Do I think he still has to manage even though there's no injury issue there? Yes," Risebrough said. "But you can manage by playing shorter shifts. If you're out there long shifts, that's not managing. Most groins are pulled at the end of shifts, not the start."

Risebrough said Gaborik is still "figuring out there are things he has to do every night. He doesn't necessarily have to be the guy every night, but he has to do things every night to help the team.

"When he doesn't score or affect the game offensively, it affects his mood. It affects how he feels about himself, and it affects how he projects himself to his teammates. The simplest solution? Just keep working hard."

After his five-goal game, Gaborik was obviously going to be checked tighter.

"You know you're going to get more attention and focus," Risebrough said. "You overcome that by working hard. You can keep telling him that, but at some point, he's got to understand there's a team benefit and personal benefit to working hard. It's a journey, a voyage for him."