The Panthers have reached the midpoint of the season, and defenseman Mike Van Ryn has 41 painful games remaining before he again will address his wrist problems.

After playing last season with a left wrist injury, Van Ryn underwent surgery in May to stop the pain.

Van Ryn, however, hurt his right wrist during training camp this season and said he has not been pain-free in 38 of the first 41 games.

"It's been bothering me," he said. "But it's something you play with, and that's it. There's nothing you can do about it."

Wrist injuries have become more prevalent in the NHL. Dallas forward Brendan Morrow and Carolina's Kevyn Adams, who had played in 162 consecutive games, are among the most recent players to be sidelined.

Van Ryn has been talking to two teammates who have had wrist problems. Anthony Stewart underwent surgery after sustaining a dislocation in November 2005, and Stephen Weiss missed the second half of last season after having surgery last January.

"Weiss said his is just feeling better now," he said. "Stewie said his is still killing him. So it takes time.

"They say the way it's repaired actually makes the wrist stronger than it was before. So I'm waiting for the day it feels that way."

Van Ryn, one of the more productive defensemen for the Panthers, recorded 37 points in each of the past two seasons. But he has only 15 points in 41 games this season and is looking forward to this month's All-Star break, when he will have a week between games.

Otherwise, he said he will do the best he can until the off-season.

"My bottom hand (on the stick) is more sore because it's taking the brunt," he said.

"It comes and goes. Some days are worse than others; some days there's no pain, and some days there's a lot of pain.

"It's something I've learned to deal with from last year, so it's not bothering me as much."

The three amigos: Captain Olli Jokinen, fellow Finn Ville Peltonen and Van Ryn are the only three players still sporting mustaches that members of the team decided to grow while the Panthers were struggling through a four-game losing streak three weeks ago.

The agreement, originally formed by about half the players, was that the mustaches would stay until the Panthers doubled their win total of 10. They are halfway there.

"We've had a couple guys drop out," said Van Ryn, who noted the group has been joined by trainer Jim Pizzutelli. "Olli, Pizza, Pelty and I are still going. It's all right. We're strong."

Pictures of Jokinen and Peltonen with mustaches have started popping up in Finland and have received a negative response.

Jokinen told a Finnish reporter that his wife, Katarina, "doesn't want to kiss me as much as she did before."