Wild works to recharge between back-to-back jolts

Bruce Bisping, Star Tribune

The dejected faces on the Wild bench on Tuesday night told the story of the first period of Game 4, when the Avalanche scored three goals in a span of seven minutes. When players are physically spent, it’s important for them to replenish their systems. Emotions, though, are another story.

Worn-out players do whatever they can to keep their bodies tuned up and get their strength revived for the challenge of back-to-back games in Denver.

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: April 16, 2008 - 12:32 AM

DENVER - The Wild is not sponsored by 7-Eleven, although it certainly appeared that way any time you bumped into a Wild player on Tuesday in the Mile High City.

After a third consecutive overtime Monday night, Wild players were often spotted with bottled water, Gatorade or protein bars in their hands as they worked overtime in order to replenish their bodies in time for Tuesday's Game 4 of the Western Conference quarterfinals.

"We all have different tricks of the trade," said 35-year-old Brian Rolston, who scored a shorthanded goal and assisted on Pierre-Marc Bouchard's overtime winner in Game 3. "For me, I like to do IV's, after games especially.

"I play a lot of minutes, so after the majority of games, but especially between back-to-backs, I'll get an IV and try to replenish the muscles as fast as I can and try to recover the best I can."

Others, such as defenseman Kim Johnsson, who before Tuesday's games led all NHL players in average ice time (30 minutes, 36 seconds), drink salt water, while right winger Marian Gaborik loads up on vitamins.

Every method is for the same purpose, Wild athletic therapist Don Fuller said.

"When you're sweating, you're sweating out salt," Fuller said, "so it's important you replace it quickly after games. You want to hydrate as much as you can, and IVs are probably the greatest way to replenish fluids immediately. The IVs are either sodium or sugar."

Rolston takes a lactated Ringer's solution intravenously, which quickly replaces fluids and electrolytes. Before Tuesday's games, he ranked third among NHL forwards in average ice time (23:53).

"It basically gets a steak and potato into your system right away," Rolston said, laughing. "Works for me."

In the middle of the Wild locker room is basically a goodie basket of replenishing treats. There are PowerBar's Proteinplus, PowerBar gels and different electrolyte mixes from Gatorade. Players ingest them before, during and after games -- especially between back-to-backs.

"There's not a long recovery when you play back to back and [Monday's game went to] overtime," said Gaborik, fourth among NHL forwards at 23:31 a game. "So it's important to get all your fluids in and get all your vitamins and replenish.

"So salt, sugar, anything goes. Also, it's a long day when it's an 8 o'clock [Mountain time] game, so you definitely need to have a lunch and take a nap."

Back-to-backs could be especially difficult for the Wild's top three defensemen -- Johnsson, Brent Burns and Martin Skoula.

The three blue-liners ranked top-three in the NHL in average ice time entering Tuesday's games (Johnsson, 30:36; Burns, 29:47; Skoula, 27:41).

"I'm feeling good, so I don't see a problem with that at all," Johnsson said. "The thing is, between games you just have to take care of yourself, get your fluids, get good rest and eat well."

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