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Home | Sports | Minnesota Wild

Lemaire seeks more balance

Carlos Gonzalez, Star Tribune

Wild rookie Colton Gillies (18) figures to see more ice time as coach Jacques Lemaire tries to rest his top-line players more. Gillies was on the ice for 11 minutes, 21 seconds against Toronto on Tuesday.

By BRIAN STENSAAS, Star Tribune

Last update: January 28, 2009 - 10:20 PM

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For Derek Boogaard, it's quite an about-face.

The guy who earlier this season spent five minutes in the penalty box after his only shift of the game, which lasted three seconds, played 10 minutes and 52 seconds against Toronto on Tuesday, a season high.

"That's why you play the game," Boogaard said. "Because you love it and you want to be involved all the time."

A four-goal second period in a 6-1 victory over the Maple Leafs allowed the Wild's fourth line to play expanded minutes and give top-line players a rest.

Four lines taking regular shifts can help the team going forward, but the Wild has to be cautious.

"You don't worry as much," coach Jacques Lemaire said. "It's something that you can do. The thing is, if some nights [opponents are] sending their top line against your fourth line, then it's tough.

"That, you can't let it happen."

Rookie Colton Gillies played 11:21 against the Maple Leafs, his most ice time since Oct. 30.

"When you're not playing, it's hard to get into it," he said. "It's good when you get it going like that. It gives other guys a break and they can work that much harder the next shift."

Weller skates

Forward Craig Weller skated with teammates for the first time on Wednesday since suffering a head injury in a fight with Edmonton's Sheldon Souray on Jan. 15.

Weller did not participate in drills and only shot pucks for a short stint.

Weller said he was not aware of Souray wearing a wrist guard during the fight.

"I was just trying to weather it," Weller said. "I didn't think that a short little punch from in that close would be able to do too much damage. But I was hit in the right spot. If he would have hit me with a fist there, I would have gone down.

"I don't think that he was trying to direct a forearm or anything."

Weller hopes to be cleared to practice fully next week.

Kolanos on waivers

The Wild placed forward Krys Kolanos on waivers. Teams have until 11 a.m. today to claim him. The Wild then reassigned him to Houston of the AHL and called up 6-2, 200-pound forward Peter Olvecky.

Assistant GM Tom Lynn said Olvecky got the call over players like Danny Irmen, called up and sent down just before the NHL All-Star break, and Aeros leading scorer Corey Locke.

"All three of those guys could have filled a role," Lynn said. "But Olvecky is a big body, strong skater, can play center or wing. He's the guy we'll use in that role as a fourth-line center.

"Locke can play center, but he's an offensive guy a lot like [Pierre-Marc] Bouchard and [Andrew] Brunette as far as they're set-up guys. So putting Locke into a fourth-line role to go against big guys on other teams probably isn't conducive to his success."

The Cowboy way

Following practice, Boogaard spent about an hour on the ice with a pair of World's Toughest Cowboy participants in town for the weekend rodeo at Xcel Energy Center.

The bit was filmed for a future television appearance. Boogaard worked well with the cameras, showing cowboys Steve Woolsey -- dressed in full goalie gear -- and Charlie Baker the finer points of hockey. This included how to properly administer a check into the boards, which Baker felt in full.

"It was a lot of fun," Boogaard said. "Maybe I'll move to L.A."

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