Lightning center Vinny Lecavalier laughed when it was suggested he walked like an old man coming off the plane in Vancouver. Small steps and with a pronounced limp, Lecavalier favored his right foot.

Lecavalier was hit in the back of his right heel with a Marty St. Louis slap shot late in the third period of Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Oilers. The good news is that Tampa Bay doesn't play the Canucks until Friday, and there was no practice Wednesday, giving Lecavalier plenty of time to recover, and he said he sees no reason why he shouldn't play.

Of course, that may depend on how his foot reacts to getting into a skate for Thursday's practice and how the foot reacts after practice is over. As coach Rick Tocchet said of any foot injury, "Actually, it's when you take the skate off, that's when it kills. But once you get the foot in the skate, you're generally okay."

That's because the skate rigidly binds the foot. But getting into the skate isn't all the pleasant either, especially when there is some swelling, and Lecavalier said even though he was hit in the heel, the part of his foot just above the heel bone is swollen.

"Putting my skates on, that's going to be the biggest challenge," Lecavalier said. "After that, it's fine, so no doubt I'll play."

While Lecavalier looked older than his 28 years while walking to the team bus, his teammates had a little fun at his expense. St. Louis said he told video coach Nigel Kirwan to ask Lecavalier why he was limping.

Responded Lecavalier, "Didn't you watch the game?"

In the game, Lecavalier said he went to the Oilers net so perhaps to pounce on a rebound. St. Louis shot from the right-wing boards.

"I got it all," St. Louis said.

And, crack, he hit Lecavalier square in the heel. Lecavalier felt bad enough, and was limping profoundly enough after the game, he was checked out by the Oilers team doctor.

"It's no big deal," Lecavalier said. "I just have to ice it a little bit and take care of it. It'll be tough getting the skate on, but it'll be fine."

In other good medical news, defenseman Lukas Krajicek said an MRI on his sore right hip found only inflammation around the joint, and Tocchet said Krajicek could play against the Canucks.

Let me also say how glad everyone was to get out of Edmonton. It was minus-20 Celsius (that's minus-4 Fahrenheit) when we took off this morning and snowing for the third day straight a very fine, dry snow that added up only to about five or six inches but was constantly blowing in your face. How cold was it? Some of the water in the bottles stored in the team plane was frozen. Vancouver is a mild, by comparison, 33 F and rainy, but we'll take it.