Ryan Johnson.

BY MARK SPECTOR
sportsnet.ca

VANCOUVER — Ryan Johnson will play in Game 3 as the Vancouver Canucks add some much-needed grit to their fourth line.

The No. 4 unit at the morning skate was Johnson between Rick Rypien and Darcy Hordichuk, though it is still doubtful that coach Alain Vigneault will go ahead with Hordichuk Wednesday.

"Don’t believe everything you see at practice," quipped Vigneault. Michael Grabner comes out for Johnson.

Now the question becomes, with Ben Eager and Adam Burish enjoying free reign in Game 2, will one change be enough for Vancouver?

Of the six forwards that comprised the Canucks third and fourth lines in Chicago, four of the names were Pavol Demitra, Kyle Wellwood, Jannik Hansen and Grabner — four players who don’t bring much physicality to the table.

"Look at the adjustments that Chicago made, adding Ben Eager and (Adam) Burish," said Hordichuk, who will take the pre-game skate tonight. "That’s why I’m hoping to get in there. Hopefully we can counter balance that, hopefully try and slow those guys down.

"Our idea is to stay out of the scrums, and at the same time try and put a label on some of their D-men."

It’s the old argument: Skill versus brawn. What works in November and December doesn’t always fit the bill in April, May and June.

Johnson is a no-doubter. He was a 52.7% face-off man this season and is one of the premier shot-blockers in the game.

But Hordichuk?

Vigneault has to decide if having three physical guys out of six on his bottom two lines — Steve Bernier, Rypien and Johnson — is enough. Or does he need one more banger?

"A physical presence, but a smart physical presence," corrected Johnson. "Our line is going to have to create some momentum."

"It’s a matter of knowing your role, going out there and doing it," said Hordichuk, an eight-year vet who sounded as if he’d give his left pinkie to play tonight. "If it’s a few seconds late, obviously that’s something I’ll talk to the ref before the game about. But I’m going to be going out there and try and time it … see if we can make some things happen out there."

Johnson, meanwhile, promised he won’t be hesitant in his shot blocking, despite the fact he’s coming back from his second busted foot this season.

"Trust me, I’ll be doing what I do," he promised. "I wouldn’t come into this lineup with hesitation in my game. If anything I’ll be going out of my way to do it more."

And those foot protectors he wears? He’ll wear them for, "the rest of my career."

•••

Funny, all these skilled players in this series and we’re always talking about the henchmen.

"I gotta stop somehow. I haven’t figured out how to stop and not blow snow somehow," pleaded Chicago’s Adam Burish, who was being quizzed about the double spray job he and Eager put on Roberto Luongo in Game 2.

He was also yapping with Burrows, a guy who could add some grit to this Canucks lineup, if he made it more of a priority in his game. "I just asked (Burrows) how his stay was in Chicago," Burish said. "If he had any good restaurants to go to, if he’d met any nice girls. Just makin’ sure he had a nice stay in Chicago."

It’s funny. You spray a guy with snow in January and it’s nothing.

Do it in May, and you become public enemy No. 1.

"In a regular season game, if you do that, someone is going to grab you. You’re going to get in a fight — someone is going to hold you accountable," Burish said. "Here, you’ve got to walk a fine line. You can’t retaliate, or you might be in the box.

"At the same time, if you’re going to go and spray a goalie, bump a goalie, you’ve got to be careful. You may go to the box for that."

•••

There were a lot of people around the National Hockey League talking over a coffee about Joe Thornton on Wednesday morning. He is hockey’s nicest guy who never accomplishes anything in the playoffs.

However in Game 3 at Detroit he was fantastic, hammering home the final nail with a lovely OT feed to Patrick Marleau.

"It’s great to see," said Blackhawks defenceman Brian Campbell, who played 20 games with San Jose in 2007-08 before joining Chicago as a free agent. "Nobody wants it more than him, but there a lot of people who know him who want it for him too. It’s never bad to see a good person get rewarded."

It is undoubtedly deserved, but the criticism for the Sharks’ playoff flops has always landed at Thornton’s dressing room stall. To his credit, he has always stood in there and answered the questions.

"He’s handled those situations well, always up front," Campbell said. "He doesn’t shy away from them, and that’s pretty commendable."