He's taking pain in stride

WILMINGTON -- He logged 20 minutes of ice time. That was progress.

He logged it in isolation. That was the problem.

Forty minutes before the Bruins practiced yesterday at Ristuccia Arena, P.J. Axelsson took his fractured left foot for a spin.

Spin was more than he could do as he skated like a man in ball and chains for two 10-minute sessions. He dragged the injured foot. The one time he appeared ready to accelerate, he instantly halted.

"I favored it a little," said Axelsson. "I just skated around. I was about 50 percent."

That means it's 100 percent certain Axelsson won't be skating around tonight at TD Banknorth Garden when the Bruins face the Florida Panthers. It will mark the seventh straight game Boston's top line, which features Marc Savard and Glen Murray, will be without its left wing.

Petr Tenkrat will again take the spot of Axelsson, who will remain in solitary confinement, skating by himself before the Bruins practice at the Garden this morning.

"I'll take it day to day," said Axelsson.

That seems an outrageously optimistic approach, but to Axelsson, it represents prudence.

"If we set a timetable and something happens in between," he said, "I'd be [upset]."

Axelsson hurt the foot while blocking a shot -- a sacrificial prerequisite in the Dave Lewis system -- against the Panthers Nov. 20. He played capably for the next four games before finally yielding to what at the time was thought to be a bone bruise. Further testing revealed the fracture -- "hairline or stress," said Axelsson, "I'm not sure there's much difference."

Nor does the revised diagnosis constitute a setback in Axelsson's mind.

"I don't know that there's a big difference from a bone bruise," he said.

Whatever the interpretation, it's keeping Axelsson off the ice, and probably will for a while, judging from the looks of things yesterday.

"It has to heal and I have to be able to skate without pain," he said. "I don't think I'll aggravate it skating if I don't push it too hard. It's probably going to get better every day I go on."

In the meantime, recovering hurts the most.

"It's not easy missing games," sighed Axelsson.

Andrew Alberts's opening-minute check echoed throughout Thursday's 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils at the Garden.

The defenseman took out Devils captain Patrik Elias with a clean, open-ice thud 39 seconds into the game, prompting Elias's compatriot, Colin White, to take umbrage -- and a swipe at Alberts. The Bruin retaliated. Alberts lost the fight but won the advantage for Boston, getting five minutes for fighting while White banked 17 minutes of penalties, including a minor for instigating. That put the Bruins on a power play they converted into Patrice Bergeron's goal for a 2-0 lead at just 1:25.

Although the Devils eventually tied the score, 2-2 and 3-3, Alberts's hit announced that the Bruins wouldn't be the pushovers they had been in a 5-1 loss to New Jersey last Saturday.

"Any time you make a big hit," said Alberts, "it's a good thing. It gets the guys going."

He didn't expect that Elias would allow the opportunity.

"I read a two-on-two," said Alberts. "You usually don't think Elias will be skating with his head down, but when he cut across, he was. When a player has his head down, you're told that the key is to drop your shoulder into him."

In contrast to the hit, White's intervention was almost the norm to Alberts.

"I expected him to," said Alberts, "or somebody to. It was just a matter of time."

The check of Elias is the most robust illustration of Alberts's increasingly physical play. He's always had the inclination; now he has the idea.

"I try not to get out of position," said Alberts. "Last year when I'd go for the big hit, I'd sometimes get out of position. [Defense partner Zdeno Chara] has been showing me how to do it without losing position."

The Bruins offered no update on Phil Kessel, who underwent testicular cancer surgery Monday. They are awaiting the family's permission before commenting further . . . Center Marc Savard wasn't at practice. "He said he wasn't feeling well," said Lewis, "and I told him to stay home." . . . Tim Thomas surpassed his victory total from his rookie season last year with No. 13 Thursday. Advised of the milestone, he replied, "I didn't know that. But I haven't had that many games in the NHL [for a career high to mean much]." Thomas (13-7-2, 3.05 goals-against average) will start tonight, his 23d appearance in 24 games.

Bob Duffy can be reached at Duffy@globe.com.