OK, here are the updates:

• Boyd Gordon said his back feels better today and he is ready to go.

• John Erskine said he doesn't feel great, but he doesn't feel bad either. He will have to wait and see how he feels after his lengthy skate today to see if he's made progress. He said he'd like to play Thursday, but concussions can be a bit tricky, of course.

• Mike Green was on the ice a long time, but still no slap shots or physical contact. He said he would like to play by this weekend.

• Tom Poti didn't have much to say, but he would ideally like to be back the weekend as well.

• As for Alexander Semin, well, "When is ready, he will tell us he's ready," Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said. "That's all I know."

• Boudreau said he hopes to possibly have a guy back Thursday against the Islanders and one more Saturday in Toronto, but he doesn't know which guys that would be.

• Boudreau on Graham Mink: "I thought he played really well the last time he was here. Sometimes you are looking at the fourth line and you need a bigger guy. He's really good along the boards and he's really good in the corners."

• It will definitely be Jose Theodore in net toinght.

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