When a player makes the decision to step away from the game, there’s always the fear that if they come back, they may not be the same player. Well, Justin Williams quickly squashed any concerns with memorable moments in his first two games back with the Carolina Hurricanes.
In his return against New York, Williams was eased in, playing the least ice time of any forward on the Hurricanes and not getting any power play time. Still he was fine, had three shots on goal and was looking for chances. He capped off his return in style, scoring the game-winning goal in the shootout.
His second game is where I thought he was really impressive (and that’s not just because of the two goals). Williams looks great on the fourth line with Jordan Martinook and Brock McGinn and while I initially thought it would be ideal to get him into the top-nine, I love the depth this gives the forward group. He led Carolina in shots on goal against Winnipeg and was back on the power play. While his goals were both redirections, he still had the presence of mind to know exactly where he needed to be. He even won a race to the far post on the second goal.
Needless to say, concerns of potential rust aren’t necessary. I’m expecting he starts to get more ice time as the games go on and he seems to be a perfect fit for the fourth line. He hasn’t missed a beat and so far, he looks to be an even better addition to the lineup than expected.
Carolina Hurricanes Blogger • 
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