Craig Johnson Lamenting Some Unfinished Business

He can still see the open ice in front of him, with only goalies to beat in Edmonton and Vancouver.

“I’ve missed on a couple of breakaways,” King winger Craig Johnson said Thursday. “If I had hit that one in Edmonton, we’d have been up, 3-1. If I’d hit that one in Vancouver, we’d have had a 3-1 lead.”

Johnson has been playing on a checking line with center Nathan LaFayette and winger Russ Courtnall. Make that checking and speed line, for it was used often at Edmonton, trying to counter the Oilers’ speed.

It’s a line that produced 34 goals last season, but none in the two games so far.

And there have been chances, one for Johnson at Edmonton when defenseman Sean O’Donnell sent him an up-ice pass, another for Johnson at Vancouver when the Canucks’ Brad May fell.

“You don’t get many of those,” Johnson said of the breakaway opportunities. “You have to finish them.”

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King center Ian Laperriere will be fitted for a knee brace today in hopes that two to three weeks of rehabilitation will eliminate the need for surgery for a partially torn ligament.

Laperriere said he was injured slightly while missing a check at Edmonton, then aggravated the injury hitting somebody at Vancouver.

“I knew I had hurt it, but I tried to skate two more shifts,” he said. “Then I knew it was bad.”

Therapy will include hot and cold treatments and riding a stationary bicycle, with a decision as to whether to operate due about Nov. 1. Such surgery could cost him the rest of the season.

“Trust me, I don’t want surgery,” Laperriere said. “I’ve been through that [with his shoulder in 1994-95 with the St. Louis Blues], and I don’t want to go through it again.”

Ray Ferraro will replace Laperriere tonight against the Boston Bruins, centering a line that includes Matt Johnson and Sandy Moger.

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King rookie Josh Green will change from No. 47 to No. 21, the number he wore while playing junior hockey. Coach Larry Robinson said he has been satisfied with Green’s play so far, though that has been limited to a little more than 20 minutes in the two games. “Part of the reason is that he isn’t on the power-play or penalty-killing teams,” Robinson said.

Tonight

vs. Boston 7:30, Fox Sports West

Site--Great Western Forum.

Radio--KRLA (1110).

Records--Kings 1-1, Bruins 2-0-1.

Record vs. Bruins (1997-98)--0-2.

Update--Boston goalie Byron Dafoe and winger Dmitri Kristich will play against their former team in the Kings’ home opener. Dafoe has successive shutouts, against the New York Islanders and Colorado. He has not given up a goal in 151 minutes 29 seconds. Kristich missed much of training camp and the season opener because of a shoulder injury but had the winning goal on a power play against the Islanders and added an assist at Colorado.