Wild's Vanek sidelined for start of playoffs

Minnesota Wild left wing Thomas Vanek will miss the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with an upper-body injury, the team announced Friday.
Wild coach John Torchetti said Vanek could be sidelined more than a week.
Vanek, who has 41 points (18 goals, 23 assists),sustained the injury during a 4-1 loss against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 29. He has missed four of the past five games.

Left wing Zach Parise, the Wild's leading goal scorer with 25, will miss Minnesota's final regular-season game Saturday against the Calgary Flames (7 p.m. ET, CITY, FS-N, NHL.TV). Parise is "banged up," according to Torchetti, but is expected to return for the playoffs.
Parise has 299 career regular-season goals, but will have to wait until the 2016-17 to reach No. 300.
The Wild hold the second wild card in the Western Conference and will play either the Dallas Stars or the St. Louis Blues in the First Round. Minnesota will open on the road.