I was listening to Dan Barreiro's show on pod cast today; Barreiro was talking about the dust up between Wild Star Marian Gaborik and Hall of Fame Coach Jacques Lemaire. In this week’s Minneapolis Star and Tribune Wild Coach Jacques Lemaire called Gabby out challenging him to work harder. I think it is about time Lemaire called out more of his star players. In fact it is long over due. While it is no doubt that Marian Gaborik is a dynamic offensive hockey player I believe Gaborik needs to take his play up a notch in the defensive zone, especially playing for the defensive minded Jacques Lemaire. After watching the Wild’s horrible effort the last couple of games it would appear that the Wild are going to struggle to make the playoffs this season unless something changes. The Minnesota Wild can not be the good teams in the Western Conference. I might argue that if the Wild manage to make the NHL playoffs it will be another one and done playoff series, like last year when they were beat by a bigger and tougher team the Ducks.
That being said; I also believe that Gaborik’s play isn’t the only problem the Wild are facing. There are other issues on this team that need to be addressed as well. Contrary to the belief of some the Minnesota Wild Management the Minnesota Wild are not a very deep and talented team. The Wild lack top line players need to get over the top, after Gaborik, Demtra and Rolston there is a huge drop off in talent especially with one of their top forwards being hurt. It is no mystery that the Wild are hurting offensively from the absence of forward Mikko Koivu who has missed 22 games due to the broken leg. I believe the Wild are in need of a shake up. They Wild just aren’t getting it done
DALLAS - This is becoming an almost daily occurrence. Monday morning, before the Wild played the Dallas Stars and two days after Marian Gaborik was a minus-3 in Nashville, coach Jacques Lemaire implored him to "work harder."
"The skilled players, sometimes they want to use only their skills," Lemaire said. "But in today's game, the guys are too good, they work too hard. It's not only your skill that's important. You have to work with that skill. And work and work and work harder.
"Gabby's working, but it's not hard enough -- plain and simple. It's got to be harder. He does that, you add his talent, he's going to have a better chance of success."
Before Monday, in the seven games since Gaborik's five-goal game against the Rangers, he scored three goals, three assists and was a minus-8. In three of the past six games, Gaborik's ice time had been reduced -- 15 minutes, 39 seconds at Dallas, 14:28 against San Jose and 14:39 in Nashville. Lemaire said he played less than that.
"He played less than the other two because I wasn't satisfied the way he played," Lemaire said.
Friction is clearly building between Lemaire and Gaborik. Asked about Lemaire's assertion that his work ethic must improve, Gaborik said: "You want to play more than you're playing. It's up to them. I try to go out and play my best games. Sometimes, it just doesn't work. There's 82 games. Sometimes you don't feel as good. Sometimes, of course, there can be a little more effort.
