Berra basks, Gaborik plans
Ducks goalie is riding high after earning first NHL victory, and Kings right wing is looking to play soon.
Marian Gaborik graduated to purple. Can blackand-white be far behind?
When the Kings resumed practice Tuesday with colorcoded lines, Gaborik donned a purple jersey with Jussi Jokinen and Jonny Brodzinski as the trio went through drills as the fourth line. Gaborik indicated he is on the cusp of a return from a knee procedure that has kept him out all season.
“I’m getting real close,” the veteran right wing said. “It was good to be on a line in practice and be on every repetition. It was definitely good to be out there and ramp everything up.”
Gaborik wouldn’t say if he could jump into a game yet but said if he progresses “it should be a matter of days” before his season debut.
General manager Rob Blake said last week that they were aiming at early December and reiterated that time frame in an email Tuesday. They are understandably careful as Gaborik resumes hockey after he had to repair a tendon and ligament in his left knee in April. The Kings already have had one false start with Gaborik at the beginning of the season when he began skating but subsequently was withheld from on-ice activity.
But this latest progress is encouraging.
“Obviously he’s getting a lot closer with being integrated into the team,” coach John Stevens said. “Just going to see how he responds to that type of work and physical resistance — he got some extra battle stuff in with him today. I think that was the step we were waiting for. We’ll see how he responds and then we’ll talk to the trainers and see where he is, talk to Gabby and see where he is.”
The fourth line already has taken on a more offensive dynamic with the addition of Jokinen and the recall of Brodzinski. Brooks Laich has been scratched the last three games, and he skated as an extra defenseman Tuesday.
Gaborik would give the Kings another veteran scorer. The 35-year-old hasn’t played since last season’s regular-season finale and is 11 games short of 1,000 for his career.
“It’s an unbelievable milestone to achieve,” Gaborik said.
“I want to start playing first and approach it game by game.”
Vilardi returned
Prospect Gabriel Vilardi, who has been rehabilitating a back strain with the Kings for several weeks, has returned to his junior team, the Windsor Spitfires, Blake said. Vilardi will have two weeks of non-contact practice and get re-evaluated, Blake said. If cleared, Vilardi could then participate in contact practices.
Vilardi, 18, was the 11th selection in this year’s draft, the Kings’ highest pick since 2009.
TONIGHT
VS. WINNIPEG When: 7:30 p.m. On the air: TV: FSW; Radio: 790 Update: Winnipeg linemates Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler are two of the NHL’s top 10 scorers with 25 points apiece in 20 games. Second-year forward Patrik Laine had his eight-game points streak end Monday. Jets center Adam Lowry is the son of Kings assistant coach Dave Lowry.