from Canadiens.com

Apr 17, 2008, 12:13 PM EDT

MONTREAL – Guy Carbonneau confirmed that captain Saku Koivu not only skated on Wednesday, but was also back out on the ice this morning. “We said all along that once his foot was feeling better, that Saku would try to fit it into his skate,” said Carbonneau of Koivu, who has been sidelined since blocking a shot from Ales Kotalik of the Sabres on March 28 in Buffalo. “He felt good enough to try it yesterday, so he did. He felt good enough today that he went back out this morning and now we’ll see how he feels tomorrow. His status hasn’t changed, and he’s staying the course.”

Joining his captain on the ice Thursday morning was Francis Bouillon, who continues to inch closer to a return from an ankle injury. “I was surprised to see how quickly he’s progressing,” said Bouillon of Koivu’s left foot fracture. “We were on the ice together passing the puck to each other when just a few days ago he was still getting around in that protective boot of his. I thought he looked good out there today.”As far as his own condition is concerned, Bouillon will not be in the lineup for Game 5 against the Bruins.“I’ve blocked my share of shots in my day, but none have ever done this much damage,” admitted Bouillon, who suffered his right ankle injury against the Leafs on March 29. “It’s certainly taken longer to heal than I thought it would. Had this series been tied 2-2, I would have had a discussion with the coaches about my availability, but that’s not the case.”Joining Koivu and Bouillon in the pressbox tonight will be Mark Streit, who suffered a hip injury in the second period of Game 4 in Boston.

Manny Almela is a writer for canadiens.com