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Gaborik, Wild set to host Red Wings

Dec 22, 2007 - 2:05 PM Detroit (25-7-3) at Minnesota (20-12-2) 8:00 pm EST

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (Ticker) - Fresh off their first regulation loss in nearly a month, the Detroit Red Wings now have to figure out a way to stop Marian Gaborik.

Gaborik tries to keep the goals coming when the Minnesota Wild host the Red Wings on Saturday.

The talented right wing became the first NHL player since Detroit's Sergei Fedorov on December 26, 1996, to score five goals in a single game in the Wild's 6-3 win over the New York Rangers on Thursday, setting a new single-game franchise record in the process.

"My buddy sent me a YouTube video today of (Pavel) Bure in the (1998 Winter) Olympics when he scored five goals against Finland," Gaborik said after the game. "(Pavol Demitra) was joking (before the game) that I have to get five goals tonight."

Gaborik netted the natural hat trick in a span of just over 12 minutes in between the first and second periods and added a pair of third-period tallies for good measure.

He will have a tough test against Detroit, however, which is tied for the NHL lead in goals allowed - having let just 81 slip through. Top netminder Chris Osgood leads the NHL with a 1.83 goals-against average and boasts a record on 15-2-2.

Prior to a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, the Red Wings had not lost a game in regulation since November 22 - a span of 12 games that saw them go 10-0-2.

Detroit also paces the NHL in goals scored with 124, but may be without star right wing Tomas Holmstrom against Minnesota. The 34-year-old Swede left Thursday's game with a right knee injury and is listed as day-to-day.