*Tom Poti said his groin felt OK after going through his first practice, although it "felt like I haven't skated in two weeks." He said trainer Greg Smith told him the big test would be how it feels tomorrow, but he would like to play Saturday.

Bruce Boudreau said he would like to have Poti, obviously, but that it would also help him manage Mike Green's minutes a little better. Green is fourth in the NHL in time on ice behind Jay Bouwmeester, Duncan Keith and Dion Phanuef with 27:33 per contest.

*Boudreau has said he picked Jose Theodore to play Tuesday night "on a hunch," but Brent Johnson said he knew the day before that he wasn't playing. 

*GM George McPhee said he spoke to Alex Ovechkin on the phone in Moscow, but does not have an update on a timetable for his return.

*Sergei Fedorov and Viktor Kozlov were "excused from practice" but both are expected to play Saturday in Buffalo.

*Finally, there was a group of young kids at practice today with a sign that read "Coach Boudreau, you promised to have lunch with us. Today is the day!" So, Boudreau stuck to his word and was seen leaving the rink with the kids on their way to lunch. His line to them: "What do you want? Just don't say steak."

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