They started out as teammates, then became friends and neighbors. Eventually, Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek began playing on the same line during their days with the Buffalo Sabres, deepening a camaraderie that opened a new chapter when they were reunited with the Wild.

Coach Mike Yeo is counting on that long-standing relationship to help his team withstand the loss of Zach Parise. The Wild left Wednesday for two games in Canada without its leading scorer, who suffered an upper-body injury in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh. With Parise sidelined, Vanek is expected to fill his spot on the top line, joining Mikael Granlund and Pominville for Thursday's game at Ottawa.

Parise was scheduled to meet with doctors Wednesday to determine the extent of the injury, which happened during the second period. As Yeo and his players cited the need for everyone to push a little harder in Parise's absence, Pominville anticipated that his previous stint skating alongside Vanek could ease the adjustment.

"Hopefully, we still have [chemistry],'' said Pominville, the Wild's fifth-leading scorer with three goals and four assists. "Usually that takes time when you play with somebody different. Now it's somebody I've had the chance to play with before. Hopefully, it comes a little easier, and we can help the team out right away.''

Yeo said he did not see the play that injured Parise, but he knew something was wrong when the winger returned to the bench and summoned trainers. Parise absorbed two hard collisions Tuesday: a blast from behind by Penguins defenseman Robert Bortuzzo on Parise's opening shift, and a second-period cross-check from Blake Comeau that resulted in an interference penalty. Parise did not return for the third period.

The injury will test the Wild's depth, which Yeo has touted throughout the fall. In addition to Parise — who leads the team with 10 points and 47 shots — winger Matt Cooke is out because of a lower-body injury, and defenseman Jared Spurgeon is sidelined by a shoulder injury. They, too, will not make the trip to Ottawa and Montreal.

Those absences open up opportunities for others, Yeo said, including Vanek. While he has shined as a setup man recently and has a team-high seven assists, Vanek has taken a paltry 17 shots this season and has only four in his past seven games. The winger also has not registered any hits or blocked shots and has had trouble holding onto the puck.

Pominville played on a line with Vanek for about two years in Buffalo and recalled how well they clicked. The player he knew as a reliable scorer has only one goal this season, and that came on the power play. While lauding Vanek's playmaking ability, Pominville also believes he and Granlund can set up Vanek for goals.

"Hopefully, we can generate some more opportunities for him,'' Pominville said. "Playing with [Granlund] and me, I think we can create stuff offensively by trying to find him when he gets open. Hopefully, we can take it to another level.''

That is what Yeo wants to see. While also praising Vanek for his passing — and noting that Vanek has been moved around in the lineup — he is optimistic that combining him with his old friend Pominville might spark his scoring touch.

"[Vanek] was brought here to produce offense,'' Yeo said. "He's had chemistry with [Pominville] in the past, and [Granlund] is a smart player. We like to think that line could definitely produce some offense for us.''

As the Wild waits for Parise, Spurgeon and Cooke to heal, Yeo said defenseman Keith Ballard is gaining strength after his illness and should be ready to play soon. Goaltender Josh Harding, who broke his foot in September, also is getting closer to rejoining the roster.

A similar rash of injuries last season gave the Wild valuable experience in learning to weather such storms. Several players suggested that the best way to fill the void left by Parise is through dedicated, collective effort.

"With new combinations and all that, you have to focus a little bit more, especially going on the road,'' captain Mikko Koivu said. "Every team is going to face this. Now we just have to find our game.''