Rather than rehash everything from
Jarome Iginla scoring his 600th goal Monday night, I've included links to my
NHL.com game story and sidebar from the Avalanche's 4-1 win against the Kings.
This is the
GAME STORY.
Here is the
FEATURE STORY.
Iginla poses with
Tyson Barrie and
Blake Comeau, who assisted on his 600th NHL goal.
*****
More of the offensive onus from the defense will be on Barrie now that
Erik Johnson has sustained a lower-body injury that coach
Patrick Roy said after practice Tuesday will keep him out of the lineup for "five, 10 days, 12 days ... short term."
Johnson, who has seven goals and nine assists in 40 games, was injured in the second period in Monday's game, leaving the Avalanche with five defensemen for the final 30 minutes.
Johnson will likely miss at least the next three games -- Central Division games against St. Louis on Wednesday, Nashville on Friday and at Chicago on Sunday.
Barrie, who had a career-high four points (two goals, two assists) against the Kings, said he hadn't gotten an update on Johnson's status but that it would be a "huge blow" if he were to be out for an extended period.
"It just gives everybody a chance to step up," said Barrie, who has been paired with
Nick Holden. Johnson has been on the first pairing with
Francois Beauchemin. "You can't try and fill EJ's shoes, you just have to try and play your game and do what you need to do to be successful."
With Johnson sidelined and
Brad Stuart experiencing pain stemming from his back injury, the Avalanche announced Tuesday that they claimed defenseman
Andrew Bodnarchuk on waivers from Columbus and plan to use him as a depth player.
From Drumheller, Alberta, Bodnarchuk, 27, is 5-feet-11 and 196 pounds. A fifth-round pick (No. 128) of Boston in the 2006 NHL draft, he's spent most of his nine pro seasons in the AHL -- four with Providence, three with Manchester and 14 games this year with Lake Erie. He had two assists in 16 games with the Blue Jackets this season, with those assists and 10 penalty minutes in 21 career NHL games.
Roy was coaching the Quebec Remparts in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League when Bodnarchuk played for the Halifax Mooseheads.
"I think we just want to add some depth to our defense," Roy said. "That was the plan behind this. We believe that he's going to help us. I don't know him much because the last time I saw him play was many years ago when he was in Halifax, but (Avalanche pro scouts) said he moves the puck well, he has great hockey sense, he's intense out there, despite the fact that he's 5-11 or 5-10.
"They really feel that he's going to bring a lot of depth to our team. Our pro scouts believe Bodnarchuk has the best chance to help us to be in a playoff position. He has a bit of experience at the NHL (level)."
Blue Jackets GM
Jarmo Kekalainen signed Bodnarchuk as a free agent in July.
"We had nine healthy defensemen and (the Avalanche) had an injury, so that happens sometimes,” Kekalainen told the
Columbus Dispatch. “He did well for us. We’re disappointed that we lost him, but we’re happy for him. If they put him back on waivers we’ll just claim him back.”
Stuart recently practiced without a non-contact jersey, but Roy said the defenseman "has pain in his leg, coming from his back." Stuart last played Nov. 10 at Philadelphia and Roy said there's no time frame for his return to the lineup.
"We need to be patient and at the same time we want to continue to bring some depth and get our defense better," he said.
Roy said that goalie
Reto Berra isn't recovering from his ankle injury as quickly as expected. The original prognosis was about 10 days after Berra was injured while playing soccer in a Pepsi Center hallway before the Avalanche's Nov. 21 game against Toronto.
"(Monday) he skated a bit and his ankle was sore," Roy said. "I'm not saying it's a setback, but at the same time, it might take a bit longer than we thought."
Roy said
Semyon Varlamov will start the next three games, and that
Calvin Pickard would play next week against Tampa Bay or New Jersey.
Colorado Avalanche Blogger •Avalanche Insider • 
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