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Sounds like Zach Parise isn’t a lock to play Game 1 for Wild

Zach Parise, Jimmy Howard

Minnesota Wild’s Zach Parise (11) tries to take a shot on goal against Detroit Red Wings’ Jimmy Howard (35) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, April 1, 2016, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

AP

Zach Parise’s cloudy situation is labeled “day-to-day,” and there’s some worry that it will mean enough days that he might not be able to play when the Minnesota Wild kick off their first-round series against the Dallas Stars.

That’s the worry-packed word from an interesting story by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Michael Russo, who wonders if Parise is dealing with “something new” instead of an earlier noted upper-body injury.

Chris Porter said Parise “has been mum about it to everybody. It’s obviously bad. We were all joking that he’s a superstitious guy and scoring three on Backy (Niklas Backstrom) last time, you know it has to be something if he’s going to miss a game against a goalie he scored three against a few weeks ago.”

Yikes.

We already know that Thomas Vanek is unlikely to be good to go to start. Russo notes that red-hot forward Erik Haula is banged up, too.

When people spoke of the Wild “limping” into the playoffs, it felt like it was a figurative thing, noting that they’ve lost five in a row. It might be more literal than expected, however, if Parise and Haula join Vanek on the sidelines.