FRIDAY'S STORY LINE: Mikko Koivu (upper body) has missed 13 games, Niklas Backstrom (lower body) has missed six and one thing is for sure, both are anxious to get back into the lineup.
"It has been awhile and it was only four games in between there. It has been very frustrating being away from the guys and being away from the game. It is just a bad feeling, a frustrating feeling," Koivu said today.
Koivu was cleared for contact yesterday and has had two good practices where he has participated in battle drills with his teammates. Koivu skated on his usual line with Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi today and it appears he is close to a return. Still, Koivu knows he needs to exercise patience.
"You have to be patient and go step-by-step and make sure we do the right thing here," added Koivu.
Backstrom was injured on March 1st and is itching to get back in the lineup, but knows you have to make wise decisions when dealing with injuries.
"You have to be smart. It sucks to be out and you want to get back out there as fast as possible," said Backstrom.
Backstrom was injured on March 1st and had targeted tomorrow's game as one he would like to return in. Backstrom said he felt close to normal today, but it appears he might need a few more days before he can return to the lineup.
"Today was a pretty good day and it is getting close. I think just a couple more days and it will be fine. Everything feels good," said Backstrom. "Today out there felt almost normal, not yet, but pretty close."
Mike Yeo would love to have the players back tomorrow, but knows rushing the players back can be dangerous. Yeo wants to be sure they are one-hundred precent before he puts them back in the lineup.
"We don't want to hurt anybody. We don't want anyone going out there and playing two shifts and hurting themselves," said Yeo. "There is always an element of risk in this game, but we have to make sure we give these guys ample rest and the opportunity to heal," added Yeo.
The Wild will play Carolina tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. and the decisions on Koivu, Backstrom and Matt Cullen (lower body) will be made before the game. still, Yeo was cautious in calling them game-time decisions.
"I want to be careful to say Mikko is game-time, same with Back," said Yeo. "It would be a game-time decision if Mikko came to us and said I am ready to go, and then if he is real confident in that, then we would decide," said Yeo.
CULLEN RETURNS TO PRACTICE: Cullen (lower body) returned to practice today. Cullen said he felt better, but no decisions have been made on his status for tomorrow.
HE SAID IT: "I have been able to skate and do all kind of workouts, so it is not about the conditioning, it is getting used to the pace again, the fast game out there and it is obviously a little different than practice." -- Mikko Koivu on being in game shape
