Radek Dvorak didn't need surgery on his left knee, but he will have to wear a brace for a while. The Panthers' veteran winger is fine with the hindrance -- so long as he can play as soon as possible.

Dvorak practiced with the Panthers on Friday for the first time since being taken out on a knee-on-knee hit delivered by Philadelphia's Darroll Powe on Oct. 24. Dvorak said being back on the ice with his teammates was a welcome respite from the hard skating administered by assistant coach Mike Kitchen, with whom Dvorak has been working since returning this week.

``I've been skating with Kitch for three days on my own, so this was nice,'' said Dvorak. ``I need to go out there for practice to get my timing back. It's a good start for me.''

Dvorak said the brace on his knee has slowed him a bit, but he says he's getting used to it. Dvorak is expected to return Thursday at Boston.

``We have a few days between games next week, so I have time to push it hard in practice,'' he said.

OVECHKIN OUT

The Panthers weren't exactly upset Washington star Alex Ovechkin would miss Friday's game in Sunrise. Ovechkin, who came into Friday's game leading the league with 14 goals, will likely miss Saturday's game in Washington as well. He injured his left shoulder on Sunday.

In 30 games against the Panthers, Ovechkin has 17 goals and 20 assists (his lowest point total against a divisional opponent).

Last season, he skated by Florida goalie Tomas Vokoun during pregame warm-ups and told Vokoun he would score two goals in the game. Ovechkin did just that.

``He's the most dynamic player in the league,'' said Florida coach Pete DeBoer. ``When you're in team meetings and you're talking about the Washington Capitals . . . most of the meeting is about taking away his options.''

• Florida was without fourth-line center Kamil Kreps after he injured his foot in Wednesday's victory over Carolina. Michal Repik was recalled from the minors.

• Alan Cohen's decision to step down as general partner is expected to be announced next week, several sources said. The Miami Herald previously reported that Panthers minority owners Cliff Viner and Stuart Siegel are expected to run the team after Cohen steps aside.

• Bryan McCabe was treated by his teammates before the game, honoring him for playing in his 1,000th NHL game. McCabe was presented with a crystal puck and a silver stick. His teammates also gave McCabe and his wife matching Rolex watches and a paid weekend at a Palm Beach resort.

Miami Herald sports writer Barry Jackson contributed to this report.

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.repliedToText@

@Nyx.replyAnswerText@

Reply to this Comment @Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@