He knew he didn't feel right, but Wild captain Mikko Koivu couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.
And that made him scared.
"The worst is when you don't know," Koivu said. "You're guessing, for sure."
Fear, however, has now been replaced with relief.
Barely a week after he was knocked to the ice by a knee-on-knee hit from Flames captain Mark Giordano, Koivu is moving closer to a return to action and is considered a game-time decision Saturday for the rematch with Calgary at Xcel Energy Center after practicing with the Wild Friday.
"When you see plays like that, usually bad things happen," Koivu said. "But it's good that we're here now and getting closer to get back to the game. So I think that's in the past now and just looking forward to getting better and getting stronger and hopefully getting into the lineup as quick as possible."
Koivu has been sidelined with a lower-body injury ever since he was taken down by Giordano along the boards in the third period of a 2-0 loss for the Wild in Calgary Dec. 6. Giordano was suspended two games for kneeing.
"I don't think he meant to do that," said Koivu, who explained Giordano made "a classy move" by texting him to apologize. "Things happen quick and [you're] trying to win every battle every game. So that's part of the game."