Torts: Gaborik likely to face Isles Monday

Marian Gaborik, who skipped Wednesday's practice with a sore groin and was sidelined last night, is likely to face the Islanders Monday, John Tortorella said.

"We've got a few days [off]. I think he should be ready to play by then," Tortorella said last night.

The right wing, who missed his 14th game, received acupuncture and several other treatments Thursday. "He's just trying to get it taken care of,'' Tortorella said. "I think he felt it prior to our first practice the other day. I don't think it's been a long-term thing."

Gaborik, who has nine goals and 10 assists in 22 games, missed 12 games with a mild shoulder separation, but Tortorella said no one has mentioned the shoulder as an issue.

Torts sees big picture

Despite the loss, which dropped the Rangers to 20-14-2, Tortorella said he doesn't judge his team on shootout results, during which nine shooters were stopped by Dan Ellis. "It's exciting when you win them and a downer when you lose,'' he said. "I told the coaching staff: 'You cannot get down. You cannot judge them on that.' We need to coach them on how they played, and I thought we played our -- off. We made some mistakes, but territorially, and how we wanted to play, I am very happy.''

Boogaard improving

Derek Boogaard, who hasn't played since he took a blow to his face during a fight with Ottawa's Matt Carkner on Dec. 9 and fell heavily on his shoulder, is feeling better and will visit a neurologist Tuesday. Boogaard, shut down from exercising because of headaches, "has felt better in the last couple days," Tortorella said. The 6-8 Boogaard, not quite the enforcer that he was with the Wild, saw the neurologist three or four days after the incident. It was the first mention of that visit by the team . . . D Michael Del Zotto (stomach flu) was scratched and replaced by Matt Gilroy.