Injured Gaborik to undergo plasma therapy

GREENBURGH, N.Y - Wearing a sling on his separated left shoulder and a Yankees cap, Marian Gaborik said Saturday that he's been told to expect to be sidelined between two and four weeks. He hopes to speed up the process with platelet-rich plasma therapy, which he's had previously to treat groin and hamstring injuries.

PRP therapy involves enriching blood through spinning and re-injecting it into injured tissue to speed healing. Sean Avery and Ryan Callahan had PRP therapy late last season.

"I've never had a separated shoulder before," said Gaborik, who thought his previous PRP treatments were successful. "I've had it done in muscles, never in ligaments or joints. Hopefully, that's going to help. I have to stay positive and make sure I do whatever I need to do to make it better."

On the damaging second-period boarding Friday night, Gaborik said he "didn't even see [Colby] Armstrong; I was focusing on [Freddy] Sjostrom. It was a hit from behind . . . It felt way worse than it looked . . . I hit my head first, then my shoulder. I tried to stay out for the power play, but it felt worse and worse. I got the puck and tried to make a play, and I knew that something's wrong, it's not just a little bruise."

Without Gaborik (who led the Rangers in scoring with 86 points last season), Chris Drury (who rebroke his left index finger in a collision with Michal Rozsival in the 4-3 loss to the Maple Leafs) and Vinny Prospal (knee surgery Tuesday), coach John Tortorella wants to go with 12 forwards against the Avalanche Monday and not call reserves from Hartford. He expects Todd White and Erik Christensen to play. Christensen, however, said he's not certain that his sore groin is fully healed.

No. 1 left wing Alex Frolov, a two-time 30-goal scorer with the Kings who has not scored in three games, needs to step up, Tortorella said.