Thursday practice update

Mike Modano (ribs) and Jere Lehtinen (intercostal muscle) both went through a full practice Thursday and both looked good. Both will skate Friday at the morning skate. That said, coach Marc Crawford lists both as ``questionable'' for Friday's game against the Florida Panthers.

The Stars play on back-to-back nights with travel (they're in Nashville on Saturday), so getting Modano (he's played one game and been out since the first game of the season) and Lehtinen (he's played two games and missed the last seven) back in a situation where they may play twice in two nights might be too risky. We'll see how they handle it.

If you're guessing both might come back on Saturday against Nashville and then take three days off before a home game against Calgary, I'm thinking you could be right.

To complicate issues, Steve Ott will also be back on Saturday from his two-game suspension, and if both Lehtinen and Modano come off of IR, then two forwards could need to go to the minors. Francis Wathier would be the obvious pick, but GM Joe Nieuwendyk also pulled aside Tom Wandell in the locker room today, so you wonder if Wandell might have to go back, as well.

We'll see.

Crawford said he will split the goalies in these next two games, but would not say who will play in which game. I'm guessing he goes with Alex Auld against Florida (one of Auld's former teams) and Turco against Nashville. Auld has not played at home yet, and this seems like a good game for him.

Brenden Morrow (hip flexor), James Neal (groin) and Brad Richards (groin) missed practice to rest soreness. They should all be in the lineup Friday.

_Mike Heika