Not a Window of Opportunity

The hotel room was hot, and Craig Johnson was trying to open the window and let in some fresh--if frigid--air when it happened.

The window slipped its rails, started to fall into the room and Johnson tried to catch it. He ended up with four stitches in the crushed middle fingertip on his left hand, and he was scratched Wednesday night for the game against the Blackhawks.

He was joined in that capacity by Marko Tuomainen, leaving regular center Ian Laperriere flanked by Dan Bylsma--usually a fourth-liner--and Donald Audette, who was back in the lineup after missing 15 games because of a sprained ankle.

Audette had an assist in his first game back.

“I saw the blood, and I didn’t know what it was,” said Johnson, who was treated at Northwestern Hospital by a hand specialist summoned on an emergency basis. “I think the only real problem now is infection.”

His status is day to day, and trainer Pete Demers says Johnson will be available to play again as soon as he feels “comfortable.”

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King defenseman Aki Berg also was scratched Wednesday night, with Jaroslav Modry taking his place and pairing up with Jere Karalahti.

Berg has slumped defensively lately. He has been scratched twice this season, for two games each time, and each time came back to play much better than he had been when he left the lineup.

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Colin Campbell, the NHL’s director of hockey operations, and Mike Murphy, vice president of hockey operations, will meet with the Kings in Detroit today in to address recent changes in obstruction and the goalie-interference rules.

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Quick Change Dept.: Chicago right wing Tony Amonte went into the dressing room Wednesday morning with long black hair and emerged with short blond locks.