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Johnson 'excited' about Sunday return |
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Rick Sadowski
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Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson had reason to smile for the first time in a while Saturday, knowing he'll return to the lineup Sunday night against Tampa Bay at the Pepsi Center.
Johnson will play his first game since Feb. 8, the final game before the Olympics break, when he slashed New York Islanders forward Frans Nielsen and was assessed a two-game suspension. Nielsen sustained a broken hand and missed his second game Saturday.
"I'm excited," Johnson said. "It was tough going into the Olympics break knowing the first two games coming back I'd have to sit out. It wasn't the funniest news to hear, but the guys managed to win one last night, which was big.
"Any time you're not playing, it's hard. We're hockey players and we belong on the ice, so it was tough news to get. I had never been suspended before. I wanted to be out there playing, especially because it was a longer break with the Olympics."
The Avalanche split the two games Johnson missed, losing 6-4 to Los Angeles on Wednesday and defeating Phoenix 4-2 on Friday. The team didn't practice Saturday, but players were able to watch video and work out off the ice.
Coach Patrick Roy said he'll decide Sunday on which player to sit out. Johnson's return gives the Avalanche eight available defensemen, including Ryan Wilson, who is expected to be scratched for the second game in a row.
Johnson has seven goals, 17 assists and a plus-5 plus/minus rating in 58 games while averaging a team-high 22:48 in ice time.
"He's been our best defenseman all year," Roy said. "It's good to have him back. He's excited about coming back as well. He's worked hard and it's been a long wait for him."
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The Avalanche will take a 38-17-5 record, good for 81 points, into Sunday's game against the Lightning. Colorado is third in the Central Division, just three points behind first-place St. Louis and second-place Chicago before Saturday's games.
"It's not a surprise, but if someone would say to me at the start of March that the Avalanche would be three points behind St. Louis and Chicago, I would say, 'Where do I have to sign?' " Roy said. "But here we are. We're giving ourselves a chance to be in that race and we have to continue to play the way we've been playing. The team is very excited and seems to be very motivated and everybody wants to keep learning. Everybody is well focused. It's a fun year right now for everybody.
"Right now we have great chemistry. Everybody wants the best for everyone on our team. It's a tight group and it makes it even more interesting for us as coaches because now you start talking about how you want to approach our games. We're talking about the mental side of the game and not just the game itself. I'm very happy and I'm very proud of this group."
It's been a fun season for center Paul Stastny, who in his seven previous seasons with the Avalanche missed the playoffs five times. He said he "absolutely" wants to remain with Colorado and both team executive Joe Sakic and Roy have said they'd be fine standing pat with the current roster. But Stastny is eligible for unrestricted free agency July 1 and understands he could be dealt before Wednesday's NHL trading deadline.
"I knew we were going to be better," said Stastny, who has 18 goals, 26 assists and a plus-9 rating in 54 games. "Different philosophy, different mentality. I think we surprised teams early on. Maybe people outside thought we'd stumble a little bit, but every month we've found a way to maintain or keep getting better. We just want to keep getting better. We know our schedule is going to be tough, but everyone's got a tough schedule."
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Stastny is looking forward to visiting with first-year Lightning assistant coach
George Gwozdecky, his coach at the University of Denver. Stastny played there two years and won a NCAA championship in 2005. He'll also see Lightning defenseman Matt Carle, a college teammate and Hobey Baker Award winner in 2004-05.
"I caught up with (Gwozdecky) when we were in Tampa and I'm sure after the pregame skate I'll stop over there," Stastny said. "I think it'll be a little different for him maybe, but I think he'll be excited to come back. I'm not playing against him, he's a coach. I have a lot of respect for him and I give him a lot of credit for the player I am today. I still keep in touch with him. You always want to see him be successful whatever he does after leaving DU, wherever the road leads him."
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The Avalanche will get its first look at goalie Ryan Miller in a St. Louis uniform on March 8 when the Blues visit the Pepsi Center for an afternoon game. The Blues acquired Miller and forward Steve Ott from Buffalo on Friday in exchange for goalie Jaroslav Halak, power forward Chris Stewart, prospect William Carrier and two draft picks.
"I guess they did not believe they could go with the goaltenders that they had and they thought Miller was the guy that will give them an opportunity," Roy said when asked about the blockbuster deal. "I'm sure they've been a bit disappointed in the past years and Miller is a proven goalie. He's certainly going to help them. I'm sure it's not an easy trade for them at the same time, but they thought it was best for their organization. It's been three years since (coach Ken) Hitchcock has been there and they've had great runs. I think they want to go deeper now."
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