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Gaborik, Wild put offense to test against Sharks

Dec 31, 2007 - 11:48 AM San Jose (21-12-5) at Minnesota (22-14-2) 7:00 pm EST

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (Ticker) -- Marion Gaborik made NHL history with a five-goal game on December 20 against one of the best defensive teams in the Eastern Conference. He will have another tough test when the Minnesota Wild host the stingy San Jose Sharks on Monday.

Gaborik became the first player to tally five times in over a decade when he abused the New York Rangers, but three goalless games followed for the right wing before he broke through for a tally in Saturday's 5-4 overtime win against the Edmonton Oilers.

The Sharks have always been a challenge for Gaborik, however, as the Czech Republic native has scored just four goals in 16 career games against them.

The Wild have won six of their past eight games - a string that began following a 4-1 loss to the Sharks on December 11. After the loss, top goaltender Niklas Backstrom was forced to sit out four straight games with a bad case of the flu.

Backstrom, who owns a 2.42 goals against average, has been in goal for the past two games, earning wins in both.

San Jose has been sharp lately as well, winning its past three games while allowing a total of four goals. The Sharks rank second in the Western Conference with 87 goals allowed in 38 games this season, with Evgeni Nabokov ranking third in the NHL with a 1.99 GAA.

Joe Thornton leads San Jose with with 44 points and 13 goals, but has not found the net in the past eight games.