Jagr skates, but not ready yet for Flyers

PHILADELPHIA -- Jaromir Jagr skated this morning with his teammates, but did activities alone while his teammates went through drills.

Jagr is expected to miss 7-10 days with a groin strain that caused him to miss most of the Bridgestone 2012 Winter Classic on Jan. 2. However, that didn't stop the 39-year-old forward from getting on the ice.

"I didn't push it hard," Jagr said. "The reason I'm skating is I want to stay in shape. As soon as I can be pain free, I can go right away. I just didn't push it. I tried to skate to stay in shape."

Jagr said he didn't feel any pain when he skated, and said he only feels it when he extends his left leg to take off at top speed.

"The only way I felt pain is when I push my leg all the way," he said. "That was the game. And today I felt fine. In practice (you're not extending). Even if you do, you don't go with the maximum push."

Jagr said this injury feels different than when he missed four games in late November and early December with a groin injury.

"It's totally different than it was the first time," he said. "First time when I got injured I felt a sharp pain. This one was different pain. There wasn't that much pain, but I knew that if I would play longer it would get worst. That's the way it is and that's why I stopped playing. It's not as bad as the first time."

Jagr wouldn't even rule himself out for this weekend's home-and-home set with the Ottawa Senators.

"I got at least two more practices, two more days," he said. "It heals quick.

"There's a lot of miracles in the world. As soon as I feel pain-free, I'm going to go."

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK

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