From the Chick Hearn Press Room inside the Staples Center, good day to you.
Guillaume Latendresse has an afternoon flight back to Minneapolis today as he returns home to get some rest and try to recover from a concussion. Obviously, there's no timetable on his return.
With Latendresse sidelined, the Wild will try to get through tonight's game at Los Angeles before making a decision if it needs to get another player up from Houston for tomorrow's 5 p.m. PT game against Anaheim.
Nick Johnson, claimed off waivers from Pittsburgh in September, will play on the left side of Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley tonight. Johnson has been a solid pickup for the Wild. He played the third period in San Jose with the top line and coach Mike Yeo liked the way he fit. He's got offensive skill, he's big, he can skate and he liked to play with the puck and play a north-south game. He's great on the walls.
"It's a big opportunity," Johnson said. "It's another chance to take another step."
He was real good on the whole Jarome Iginla head-butt incident the other night, so I'll get that into tomorrow's paper.
That means Darroll Powe moves up to play with Cal Clutterbuck and Kyle Brodziak, while Warren Peters will center the fourth line with Colton Gillies and Brad Staubitz.
Other tidbits:
