The Minnesota Wild survived an eight-game stretch without star winger Zach Parise and are hoping it won't reach nine.
Parise may return Friday when the Wild look to hand the Winnipeg Jets a seventh straight road loss.
Minnesota (11-6-3) has gone 4-3-1 since losing Parise on Nov. 5 to a knee injury. Parise, who had seven goals at the time of the injury and led the club with 33 a season ago, has been skating since Nov. 16 even though he was originally supposed to miss at least four weeks.
"I don't know yet, we'll see how it responds," Parise told the league's official website.