ST. PAUL — If it became as much as Zach Parise, he’d probably was in the lineup for Monday’s sport in opposition to the Nashville Predators. But it’s not. It’s now not as much as instruct Bruce Boudreau, both.
“I’m no longer the health practitioner,” Boudreau stated. “Whatever the teacher and physician are saying he has to do is what he has to do.”
The Wild’s big-name wing is well aware of in which the Wild sit within the Western Conference standings, presently two points in the back of the Colorado Avalanche for the very last playoff spot, and he knows that each of the Wild’s final six everyday-season games is basically a need-to-win if the Wild are to make it seven immediately postseason appearances.
Parise’s decrease-body harm is the same harm that kept him out of Saturday’s 5-1 loss to the Hurricanes Saturday in Carolina.
“He’s getting better,” Boudreau said after final Tuesday’s skate. “We are hoping that if all is going well, he’ll be again earlier than later.”
Maybe by way of this weekend, during the Wild play at Vegas on Friday and Arizona on Sunday?
“We are hoping,” Boudreau said. “I’d say proper now it simply wishes.”
Parise was injured after being clipped via winger Tom Wilson on a play inside the protective zone at some point of Friday’s sport towards the Capitals in Washington. He finished the game, earning an assist on the sport-prevailing goal.
“It indicates his person,” Boudreau said. “After he was given hit, then he gets the help on the game-prevailing intention. That says something.”
With the Wild already clinging to a playoff spot, the absence of Parise virtually doesn’t assist matters. He has a team-excessive 26 desires to go together with a group-excessive 59 factors this season.
“We are not an excessive-scoring crew, and take out our one guy with 26 desires; it makes it a bit greater tough,” Boudreau said. “You have to win the low-scoring video games; it’s as easy as that. You can’t play a run-and-gun game towards an excessive-offensive group.”
Eriksson Ek Skates
Joel Eriksson Ek skated with the team for the first time in nearly weeks however wasn’t scheduled to play in Monday’s recreation against the Predators. He is still nursing decrease-body harm.
Not that Boudreau didn’t consider setting him in there.
“He appeared superb,” he stated. “It’s tough to throw the lower back in after which we have 3 (off) days for him to skate this week. Hopefully, via (Friday in Las Vegas), he’s equipped to play.”
