Minor injury

Claude Julien confirmed that Manny Fernandez's left knee strain, which he suffered after stepping on a puck in practice yesterday, is mild and that he will be off the ice for the next few days. Tim Thomas said he's prepared to start as many games as necessary while Fernandez is sidelined.

"I've never done it before, right?" Thomas kidded when asked if he could go for a long stretch. "We've got a lot of games coming up. I'll do my best to prove to myself that I can play all the games that's needed."

Toward the end of practice, during a three-on-one drill that featured fourth-liners Milan Lucic, David Krejci, and Shawn Thornton hovering around the net, Thomas went into a classic free-for-all while trying to keep his net clear, diving and flopping and throwing all his equipment in front of the puck.

"I think that was fun for everyone involved," Thomas said.

* Sox owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner will take part in the puck drop tomorrow at TD Banknorth Garden. The World Series trophy will be present.

* Aaron Ward and Milan Lucic are en route to Children's Hospital today to hand out candy. Lucic plans to wear the outfit usually donned by Blades, the team mascot. Lucic has dressed in a chicken suit during intermission of a junior game several seasons ago, so he's apparently used to putting on costumes.