Ouch: with friends like Martin Skoula...

Jim Mone, Associated Press
Ouch that is going to leave a mark, you just hope that Harding won't miss too much time, although Harding claims he is going to be ready I still get nervous when I see freak accidents like that happen.

I sometimes wounder if the NHL goalies shouldn't be wearing the same face masks as the NCAA Division 1 college goaltenders. There is way too much room in Harding's mask for a stick to poke him in the eye.

Wild goaltender Josh Harding wasted little time Thursday declaring himself ready to get back into the net.

"Everything's fine," Harding said after watching -- through sunglasses -- his teammates practice. "It's just a slight scratch. But nothing serious. I should be back right away."

In Wednesday night's preseason game against Buffalo, Harding was poked in the right eye with the blade of a stick that made it through the eyehole of his goalie mask. He was sent to a hospital as a precautionary measure.