Captain's groin injury still bothers him; he hopes to return on Sunday against Calgary.

By Ted Kulfan / The Detroit News

ST. LOUIS -- Steve Yzerman was with the Red Wings on Thursday. Come game time, though, he was still unable to shake the effects of a groin injury.

Yzerman went through Thursday's morning skate. He skated hard, as hard as he has in some time -- with assistant coaches Paul MacLean and Todd McLennan and defenseman Jamie Rivers -- after the rest of the team had finished.

Although the injury that has bothered him the last few weeks is improving, it won't allow him to play -- at least not yet.

"That's the hardest I've skated since the first of the week," Yzerman said. "Going hard, really hard and quick, I still feel the muscle. It's tight. But today was a step forward.

"I'm going to skate again Saturday. I'm not ready to play today. We'll skate Saturday and determine whether Sunday is a go."

The Wings play host to the Calgary Flames on Sunday afternoon.

Coach Mike Babcock said Yzerman won't play until he says he is physically ready to do so.

This has been a frustrating period for Yzerman. He skated pain-free at the Canadian Olympic team training camp in August and was in excellent shape at the start of training camp in early September.

He played in three exhibition games before feeling something go wrong during a practice.

"I felt totally fine," Yzerman said. "Then in one practice, while skating, I felt a tear. Right on one stride I could feel it go.

"I'm skating reasonably well. I still have trouble exploding or going fast from a start. When I skate in a smooth, controlled stride, I'm OK. But I do feel better today than I did yesterday or the day before."

His good health and his play in the Olympic training camp gave him reason for optimism. Then this.

"I tried to get through the first part of camp, that was my concern, and got through it and I was feeling pretty good," Yzerman said. "Then right out of nowhere (the groin injury). But what are you going to do? Injuries are part of it. You just do what you can do, and I'll be ready to go.

"We have a little more depth than people realized that we have. When I'm ready to play, I'll know whether that's the next game or the following game."