Ferraro Returns Tonight

When Ray Ferraro walked into the hospital on Jan. 12, all he knew was that his right knee hurt.

When he walked out later in the day, torn cartilage attended to in an arthroscopic operation, all he knew was that it no longer hurt.

“It just feels good,” said Ferraro, who will cheat the doctors’ estimates and play tonight at Washington. “Originally, they were talking four to six weeks. But everybody heals differently.”

And Ferraro, apparently, heals faster than most.

How the eight-game hiatus will affect him has yet to be determined.

“He was probably playing the best hockey he’s played since he put on a Kings’ uniform,” Coach Larry Robinson said.

“He was going to the net . . . and he was having a positive effect on the bench.”

Ferraro, in his fourth season as a King, had three goals in three games before he was hurt against Edmonton.

“I felt like I was having an impact,” he said. “I knew I felt good.”

Though lines were not set Thursday, Ferraro probably will center a unit with wingers Donald Audette and Vladimir Tsyplakov.

*

Winger Craig Johnson also returns tonight after sitting out four games because of a rib injury. He will wear a flack jacket.

Johnson adds speed and probably will replace Eric Lacroix on a line with Yanic Perreault and, possibly, Pavel Rosa or Audette.

Lacroix took a puck in the thigh Wednesday night at Dallas and did not practice Thursday in Washington.

*

The return of Ferraro and Johnson means Dan Bylsma is a victim of the numbers game.

The Kings have 25 active players and only 24 are allowed, so Bylsma was sent to Springfield of the American Hockey League for games this weekend, after which he will join Long Beach of the IHL.

TONIGHT at Washington, 4 PST

Channel 9 (5:30)

Site--MCI Center, Washington.

Records--Kings 16-26-4, Capitals 16-24-4.

Record vs. Capitals--1-0.

Update--Washington spent 2 hours 40 minutes in a meeting Wednesday, trying to sort out its problems. The team that went to the Stanley Cup finals last season has won one of its last six games. The Kings have lost four in a row.