| | CANONSBURG, Pa. -- Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr, the NHL's
leading scorer, tried practicing Monday, but remained bothered by a
stomach muscle injury that might sideline him until after the
All-Star Game.
| |  | | | Jagr |
Jagr seemed discouraged after working out on his own for nearly a half-hour after practice, saying he can't move laterally well
enough to play.
Jagr, the runaway leader in the All-Star voting, looked as fast
as ever during 6 to 8 post-practice laps around the practice rink. But
when he attempted sudden stops or starts, or twisting or turning
his body to change directions, he grimaced in pain.
"Maybe after the All-Stars I can play," Jagr said. "I don't
know when I can play. It takes time. If I try to come back too
early, it will hurt."
Jagr now seems to be leaning toward resting through the All-Star break and not playing again until Feb. 9 against Atlanta, at the
earliest. Sitting out the All-Star Game, or making only a cursory
appearance in Toronto without pushing himself physically, would
give him an extra four days off without missing any game action.
"The All-Star break is 10 days away, and then there's another
four days after that," Jagr said. "Right now, it doesn't look
like (he will play).
"I feel good skating, but the quick starts and moving your
body, I can't do that. When my legs are moving, it's OK, it doesn't
hurt, but you don't have to move the body that much then."
Losing Jagr for its showcase midwinter event would be a setback for the NHL, which lost its marquee attraction when Wayne Gretzky retired last spring. In the All-Star voting, Jagr became the first
player to draw more than a million votes.
Despite missing the Penguins' last three games, Jagr was 13
points ahead in the NHL scoring race through Sunday. He is trying
to join Gretzky and Phil Esposito as the only players since 1972 to
lead the league in goals and assists in the same season.
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