ST. PAUL — If it became as much as Zach Parise, he’d probably be in the lineup for Monday’s sport in opposition to the Nashville Predators. But it’s not. It’s now not as much as instructing Bruce Boudreau, both.
“I’m no longer the health practitioner,” Boudreau stated. “Whatever the teacher and physician say he has to do is what he has to do.”
The Wild’s big-name wing is well aware that the Wild sit within the Western Conference standings, presently two points in the back of the Colorado Avalanche for the last playoff spot. He knows that each of the Wild’s final six everyday-season games is a need-to-win if the Wild are to make it seven immediate 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 is given a hit, he gets help with the game-prevailing intention. That says something.”
With the Wild already clinging to a playoff spot, Parise’s absence virtually doesn’t help matters. He has a team-high 26 desires to go along with a group-high 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 tougher,” 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, but he wasn’t scheduled to play in Monday’s recreation against the Predators. He is still nursing lower-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.”
