“Just some soreness,” Lupul said. “I kind of know the drill. I don’t want to get into it too much, but it’s some soreness in my lower body. Hopefully it can be taken care of tomorrow.”

Lupul said the injury is not related to the recurring back stiffness that sidelined him in the preseason, but “wouldn’t rule myself out for tomorrow.”

“It’s possible,” he said, asked if he could play Saturday against the San Jose Sharks.”When you feel better and better, but you’re still not 100 percent you’re going to have to be patient and wait a couple extra days. … The main thing is to try to be as smart as you can and wait until you’re 100 percent, or at least close to it.”

Carter and defenseman James Wisniewski are now both wearing protective boots after absorbing shots in their feet. Neither practiced Friday, and Carter has yet to take the ice since sustaining his injury in practice eight days ago.

Wisniewski was hit by a shot in the first period of Thursday’s 4-3 win over Tampa Bay and said he will re-evaluate his availability after the morning skate Saturday. Fortunately, Wisniewski said the swelling in his foot subsided significantly overnight, but not enough to allow him to practice.

“Today is 10 times better,” he said. “Hopefully with some more treatment and just icing it all day, I’m looking to try to come play tomorrow.”

Defenseman Steve Eminger, who came down with back spasms prior to Thursday’s game, also did not practice Friday. His status for tomorrow also remains in doubt.Asked if the team might recall another defenseman prior to game time, head coach Randy Carlyle said “that’ll be an option that we’ll have to wait and get from our medical people. With Eminger and Wisniewski that obviously leaves us down one defenseman.”