Caps Move Forward With Backup

"It's an opportunity for me to step up, and maybe take this team into the playoffs," Brent Johnson, above, said of replacing the injured Olie Kolzig. (By Tom Hanson -- Associated Press)

Washington Capitals goaltender Brent Johnson experienced conflicting emotions during Monday's practice. He cringed as fellow goalie and close friend Olie Kolzig limped to the locker room at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. Yet Johnson couldn't help but feel some excitement, too, because "backup" was about to be dropped from his title -- for the moment, anyway.

"It's mixed feelings for me," Johnson said. "You never want to see your goaltending partner go down. But also it's an opportunity for me to step up, and maybe take this team into the playoffs."

Kolzig, the Capitals' longest-tenured and arguably most important player, suffered a second-degree tear of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during a routine drill and will miss a minimum of three weeks, he confirmed yesterday.

"It's torn, but not torn off the bone," Kolzig said. "If I was a positional player, I would probably be back in 10 days. But the MCL is the most-used ligament for a goalie."

Kolzig also conceded that the projected three-week recovery time could be optimistic.

So until he's ready to return, the starting job belongs to Johnson, who is no stranger to the pressure-packed role.

Johnson won 34 games for St. Louis in 2001-02 and began the next season as the Blues' No. 1 netminder. But he suffered two serious injuries -- a high ankle sprain and a pulled groin -- and was limited to 38 appearances. He never regained his status with St. Louis.

The 29-year-old native of Farmington, Mich., bounced around the next two years before he was claimed off waivers by the Capitals in October 2005 to back up Kolzig. He posted a 4-1-1 record in his final six starts last season, and after an impressive early showing this season, was rewarded with a two-year, $1.625 million contract extension in January. General Manager George McPhee said Johnson's experience as a starter weighed heavily in the decision to re-sign him, just in case Kolzig, 36, got hurt.

The Capitals are eager to see what Johnson (4-7-3 with a 3.86 goals against average and .885 save percentage) can do with consistent playing time over an extended period. Beginning with tomorrow's game in Tampa, he could start the next 10 contests for the struggling club, which has lost five of its past seven games (2-4-1) but remains mathematically in the mix for one of the Eastern Conference's final playoff berths.

"I'd rather start than sit on the bench," said Johnson, son of former NHL goaltender Bob Johnson and grandson of Hall of Famer Sid Abel. "It's going to be nice to have some games and get on a roll. That's going to help my game."

Kolzig said he's confident Johnson will prove to be more than an adequate replacement.

"Johnny is more than capable to do the job," Kolzig said. "You saw earlier this season what Johnny can do when he plays every few days."

Kolzig also said he understands Johnson's mixed emotions.

"That's the nature of sports," he said. "I don't want to lose my job, obviously. But at the same time we need wins here in order to get into the playoffs."