PITTSBURGH -- Mario Lemieux told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Tuesday he will consider skipping some games during the final two months of the regular season to rest his back. Specifically, that he might try to avoid playing on consecutive days.
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"I have to be a little bit more patient, maybe miss a few games here and there to make sure that when I'm on the ice I'm 100 percent," Lemieux told the Post-Gazette.
When it was suggested to Lemieux after the Penguins' 5-4 overtime victory against New Jersey on Saturday that his back might be best served by sitting out a game in Minnesota the next day, he dismissed the idea. By Tuesday, he had a different perspective.
"Looking back, maybe the Sunday game against Minnesota, I should have stayed home and done some work on it," he said. "But I felt pretty decent after the game (Saturday) and thought it would be a good idea to go on the road. I have to be a little bit more careful and look at the big picture."
Lemieux said his back "just locked up on me" Friday, but that it was "100 percent better" by Tuesday.
"There was a little bit of soreness, but, overall, it's been pretty good," he said.
Lemieux went through an hour-long workout with his teammates Tuesday and reaffirmed his intention to be in uniform when the Penguins face Minnesota on Wednesday in Mellon Arena.
Lemieux got the latest in a series of massages after practice from therapist Tommy Plasko, who, Lemieux said, "has been earning his pay the last couple of days. Finally." Send this story to a friend
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AUDIO VIDEO
 What happens when you hear "Mario Lemieux" and "Back Pain" in the same sentence? ESPN's Bill Clement answers.
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