After missing 36 games and nearly three months to recover from a broken fibula, Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson feels he's back to normal.

Johnson, who was hurt Dec. 3 on a shot by Dallas' Tyler Seguin, has played in six games since returning and now is logging the kind of minutes he did before the injury.

Johnson played 22:31 Tuesday when the Avalanche broke a four-game losing streak with a 3-1 win against Carolina. He had one shot on goal, one takeaway, three blocked shots and was plus-1.

"I feel really good, I'm really happy with my play," he said after practice Wednesday. "No ill effects, I'm happy with my conditioning, really happy with how I've come back individually into the system. Obviously you want to get more wins as a group, but I'm very happy with my individual game coming off a three-month injury."

Johnson was paired with Mark Barberio against the Hurricanes, was on the ice for a brief period when the Avalanche had their only power play -- Gabriel Landeskog tipped in Tyson Barrie's shot to end the team's 0-for-23 drought -- and helped them kill off both Carolina power plays.

"I think he got there quicker than what I hoped for," coach Jared Bednar said. "You're always leery with a guy that misses three months, but I think that's a tribute to what he did while he was out. He kept himself in top condition. He's doing a good job for us defending. He's already playing on our top pair and he's been efficient at both ends of the ice. He looks like he's back to normal."

(The fact that Barberio, a waivers pick-up, is on the top pair tells you volumes about this team.)

Colorado was in the midst of an 0-4-1 slide when Johnson got hurt and it only got worse while he was sidelined; the Avalanche went 7-27-2 without him to drop off the Western Conference cliff into the abyss, where they'll remain with 17 games to play.

"Anytime you lose and you're not even getting a sniff of the playoffs, it's frustrating," he said. "I'll be 29 in two weeks and you don't have many cracks at the can left the older you get, so I want to win now. It's obviously not going to happen this year. I hope it happens next year."

The Avalanche have gone 2-4-0 since Johnson's return. They beat Buffalo 5-3 in his first game back Feb. 25 and lost the next four while being outscored 15-2.

"Those four games, we played pathetic, terrible," he said. "No matter how many times you step on the ice, NHL, putting on the Avalanche jersey, you have to play with pride. You can't play the way we did in the games before. It was unacceptable and embarrassing to put that kind of product on display for our fans, so it was good to get a win on home ice (Tuesday).

"Even driving home after the game last night, to win a game feels so much better no matter how ... winning makes you feel just a little bit better."

*****

Yes, I'm late on this, but the Avalanche signed forward Jean-Christophe Beaudin and defenseman Nicolas Meloche to three-year entry-level contracts.

Beaudin, 19, is 6-feet-2 and 187 pounds. He was Colorado's third-round pick (No. 71) in the 2015 NHL draft. He has 28 goals and 46 assists in 59 games for Rouyn-Noranda in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Meloche, also 19, is 6-3, 204 pounds. He was the Avalanche's second-round pick (No. 40) in 2015. He has 14 goals and 28 assists in 55 games, playing 26 games for Gatineau of the QMJHL before he was traded to Charlottetown on Dec. 21 as part of a seven-player transaction.



Follow @RickS7

Join the Discussion: » 11 Comments » Post New Comment

» One-year deal for Johansson

» One more postseason disappointment

» Bednar cleared to coach tonight; MacKinnon Hart finalist

» Cale Makar a Norris Trophy finalist

» Jost: Do or die Game 5 tonight; Kadri suspension upheld