Thursday, December 14, 2017

Wild goalie Dubnyk week to week with lower-body injury

NHL.com

Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk is week to week with a lower-body injury.

Dubnyk was injured in the first period of a 2-1 shootout win against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.

"He's coming on the trip but he's not going to play," coach Bruce Boudreau said. "He will probably (be) off the ice until the weekend. Then we're going to Ottawa (Tuesday) and then Florida (Dec. 22), he's got a better chance to get on the ice and work with the team.

Following a game against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, the Wild begin a four-game road trip against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.

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In 23 games this season, Dubnyk is 12-8-2 with a 2.69 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage with three shutouts. He's started at least 65 games in each of the past two seasons with the Wild.

"You probably don't notice it early on," Boudreau said. "It'll be noticeable if he has an extended period of time out. I mean, like any great player, the teams get back the first week or two because they play above what they're capable of because they know great players are out. If it lasts three, four, five weeks then all of a sudden they're in the same boat as a lot of other teams that have lost their No. 1 goalie. It becomes problematic."

Backup Alex Stalock replaced Dubnyk and made 16 saves on 17 shots in the win against Calgary. He will start against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; FS-N, SND, NHL.TV).

Stalock is 4-3-1 with a 2.93 GAA and .907 save percentage this season.

"He's done well for us," Boudreau said. "The only game where he's been moderately average was [a 7-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 27] and the rest of the guys didn't really help him that night but we have all the confidence in the world in him."

The Wild recalled goaltender Steve Michalek from Iowa of the American Hockey League. He is 6-1-2 with a 2.52 goals-against average and .926 save percentage this season. The 24-year-old was selected by Minnesota in the sixth round (No. 161) of the 2011 NHL Draft.

- NHL.com Correspondent Jessi Pierce contributed

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