Donovan takes a step in skates

Yesterday morning, as teammates filed to the TD Banknorth Garden dressing room after practice, Shean Donovan and P.J. Axelsson walked in the other direction.

The two injured Bruins, both wearing red noncontact jerseys, hit the rink as part of their conditioning efforts. For Donovan, it was his first time on the ice since he sprained his left knee March 10 in a 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

"Felt good," said Donovan, who put himself ahead of schedule in his recovery.

Donovan hurt his knee when he collided with Flyers defenseman Darren Reid. He didn't travel with the team to Montreal yesterday and will miss his fourth straight game tonight.

Donovan (6-9--15 in 67 games) planned to skate on his own today. If the session goes well, he could skate with his teammates tomorrow. He didn't rule out a return to the lineup Thursday at home against the Canadiens.

The outlook isn't as bright for Axelsson, who's wearing a cast on his broken left wrist. Axelsson still isn't sure when he suffered the break, targeting two possible dates: Feb. 24 in a 7-2 loss to the Florida Panthers, or Feb. 26 in a 3-2 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers.

But Axelsson knows how he hurt the wrist. When he took a shot, his stick was caught up in a tangle and it hit the ice awkwardly. His wrist jammed on the play, causing a fracture that wasn't diagnosed until the first week of March.

"Just trying to work out and do the conditioning," said Axelsson, who'll miss his fifth straight game tonight.

Neil Abbott, Axelsson's agent, originally estimated the left wing would be out 6-10 weeks. Axelsson said he's hoping he can return by the end of the regular season.

In two games since his recall from Providence, Ben Walter has hardly worn out his blades.

"It's different in Providence," said the 22-year-old center. "You have to be ready. You get an opportunity every two or three shifts. If you have a bad shift, you get out there and learn from mistakes. Here, it could be a while before you get back out there."

In two games, Walter has played a total of 11:13, although he might get more ice time tonight. He participated in the penalty killers' meeting yesterday after practice, indicating he'll get some action against Montreal's power play, the No. 1 man-advantage (22.4 percent) in the NHL.

"Whenever I get a chance to go out there, I've got to play with energy," Walter said. "Especially with our line, we've got to get some hits and get the momentum going."

Before his promotion, Walter was the P-Bruins' No. 2 scorer (22-34--56 in 62 games). He also led the team with a plus-24 rating.

"If you're playing along the boards and behind the net, you're an easy check," Providence coach Scott Gordon said last week. "But if you're in the middle of the ice, going to the net, going to high-traffic areas, and finishing your checks, all of a sudden the game is easier. It's less work to do what you need to do.

"Last year, every time Walter was on the ice, a play had to be made. This year, he knows that if he doesn't have something, he's not going to force the issue. As a result, he's leading the team in plus-minus."

During even-strength situations, Mark Mowers centers two offensive-thinking wingers in Stanislav Chistov and Petr Tenkrat. But when coach Dave Lewis prepares his team for the first shift after each power play, he sends out Mowers with Jeremy Reich and Jeff Hoggan, wingers who are more conservative. "You get to a certain area -- say, the red line," Lewis said. "With Tenkrat and Chistov, he knows, 'Well, I can make a play.' There is a different dynamic. With the other guys, it's defend and be more responsible, keep it simple." Mowers said he doesn't change his style of play depending on his wingers, preferring to play it safe as he has all season . . . Tim Thomas will start tonight in goal. The last time the Bruins played in Montreal, Thomas was scratched because of illness, suspecting that a tuna dinner might have had something to do with it. "Beef only," Thomas said of his Montreal dining plans . . . Students from the Epiphany School in Dorchester participated in the Skate 2 Educate program yesterday, spending some time on the Garden ice before practice. Paul Stewart, the Bruins Foundation's director of development, said similar skates are planned for Worcester and Providence.

Lexington native Jon Landry, who recently concluded a four-year career at Holy Cross, signed a two-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets yesterday. The 6-foot-2-inch, 180-pound defenseman was named to the Atlantic Hockey first team this season . . . Andrew Alberts (Boston College), Bobby Allen (BC), Brandon Bochenski (North Dakota), Phil Kessel (Minnesota), Chuck Kobasew (BC), and Aaron Ward (Michigan) will be following their college teams in the NCAA Tournament. "Tough draw," Kessel said of the Golden Gophers' placement in the West Regional. If Minnesota beats Air Force in the first round -- Kessel and his teammates were bounced by Holy Cross last season in a huge upset -- the Gophers would play North Dakota or Michigan. "You're the top overall seed. You win and you have to play North Dakota, who's playing really well lately, or Michigan," he said. "That's a tough draw."

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at FShinzawa@globe.com.