Sharks without a pair on upcoming road trip

SAN JOSE -- San Jose goalie Evgeni Nabokov and defenseman Rob Blake will miss both games on the Sharks' upcoming road trip because of injuries.

Nabokov, second in the NHL with 32 victories, has missed five games due to an undisclosed lower body injury. He didn't travel with the Sharks on Monday to Minnesota for a trip that includes games against the Wild and the St. Louis Blues.

Blake also stayed home after teammate Devin Setoguchi's slap shot hit him in the foot during the Sharks' loss at Vancouver on Saturday night. San Jose still is evaluating the severity of the injury.

Veteran forward Claude Lemieux was forced to miss the trip, too, because of an upper body injury, but forward Marcel Goc traveled with the team. Goc hasn't played since Feb. 10 while recovering from a lower body injury.

Sharks forwards Jeremy Roenick and Mike Grier likely are out until the postseason due to injuries, as well.

San Jose has lost four of its last five games but still is tied with the Detroit Red Wings atop the Western Conference with 94 points. Both clubs are one point behind the Boston Bruins for the overall NHL lead.