No puck luck

According to GM Peter Chiarelli, Manny Fernandez suffered a slight strain of his left knee today after stepping on a puck during practice at Ristuccia Arena. Fernandez most likely strained the knee late in the session, as he took part in all drills leading up to end-of-practice stretches.

"Very slight," Chiarelli said of the injury.

Chiarelli said the strain might keep Fernandez sidelined for the next two or three days, which might put him out of uniform for Thursday's game against Buffalo. With Jordan Sigalet recalled to replace Fernandez, all signs point toward Tim Thomas starting on Thursday.

Chiarelli said the strain was not related to the left knee sprain Fernandez sustained last season.

"I guess there's always a concern," Chiarelli said when asked if there was a worry about Fernandez injuring the same knee.