Justin Williams expected to play for Hurricanes on Sunday. Williams: ‘Ready to rock.’
Carolina Hurricanes practice was winding down Saturday at Raleigh Center Ice when Justin Williams found a spot in the left circle and began drilling shots. One, two, three, four ... nothing but net.
Boy, could the Hurricanes use some of that. And Williams in the lineup.
For the first time this season, the veteran forward is expected to play Sunday when the Canes host the New York Islanders in a Metropolitan Division game at PNC Arena. In game 49, “Mr. Game 7” should make his return.
“I’m ready. Ready to rock,” Williams said Saturday.
Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour did not fully commit to playing Williams in the game, saying Williams would first go through pregame warmups before a decision is made on the lineup. But everyone, including Brind’Amour, expects Williams to play.
One can only imagine the reception Williams will receive from Canes fans. At 38, he will be in his 1,245th career regular-season game but never one quite like this. After the devastating injury to defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who fractured his left fibula this week, having Wiliams back should provide a needed emotional boost.
“I’m nervous before every game I play so I’m going to have nerves,” Williams said. “But the one thing you never question is your ability and that’s one thing I’m never going to question. I’m going to go out there and work my tail off and let my instincts take over.”
In Saturday’s practice, Williams was used on a line with center Lucas Wallmark and Brock McGinn, with Jordan Martinook the extra forward. If that holds for the game, Williams would be on the fourth line, his minutes monitored and likely limited.
Brind’Amour said there probably will be a rotation of the forwards, with different players sitting out as a healthy scratch.
“I’m not putting a lot of expectations on his game but hopefully he brings a lot of energy to our group, which is what we need right now,” Brind’Amour said.
Williams has not been on the ice in a game since May 16, 2019, when the Canes were beaten 4-0 by the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final. The Bruins swept the series, clearly frustrating Williams, who spent considerable time in Game 3 tangling with Boston defenseman Torey Krug, taking penalties, and was ornery and combative again in Game 4.
It’s just that Williams, in his first year as the Canes captain, had put everything he had into the 2018-19 season. For the first time since 2009, the Canes reached the playoffs, thrilling their fans and bringing the full playoff experience back to the Triangle. They beat the Washington Capitals in seven hard-fought games. They swept the Islanders. Boston was the better team.
When it ended, Williams seemed done, physically, emotionally. No one would have blamed him for retiring and walking away.
Instead, he walked away without retiring. He never said he would definitely return this season but never ruled it out, leaving everyone guessing for months. Then, the announcement: Williams was coming back, signing a contract through the end of this season.
Williams now returns to the ice on a team missing Hamilton, out indefinitely. The Canes (27-18-3) are winless in their last three games, losing 2-1 in overtime to the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. They’re no longer in playoff position.
The Canes have managed just five goals in the past four games and have not had a power-play score in their past seven.
“We haven’t scored that many goals lately and we’ve lost three in a row,” Williams said. “That’s the NHL, right? There’s ups and downs. Limit the valleys and you’re better off.”
Williams, in his 19th NHL season, is as crafty a forward as they come in the league. He can find the openings, for passes and shots, and never seems in a rush to do it. With three Stanley Cup rings, with the reputation of being “Mr. Game 7” because of his clutch play in the biggest of games, he’s a player teammates want to listen to and emulate.
“Coming into the league you don’t know what to expect and you try to be a sponge and absorb as much as you can,” Warren Foegele, a rookie forward in 2018-19, said Saturday. “Obviously with ‘Willy’ and his track record, he’s done it all. He’s the definition of a true winner.
“The one thing that stands out the most is he’s so competitive. He wants to win and wants to help the team.”
No can can say how effective Williams will be. He had 23 goals and 53 points last season, but that was in 82 games, with no long layoff. While he joked Saturday that his close-cropped hair makes him look younger, he is 38.
“This is a unique situation,” Williams said. “It’s kind of like I’m injured at the start of the year and coming back midway through the year. Just a little bit of a time off that most of the other guys in the league have a little step on you, have some more seasoning. I’ve got play catch-up.”
And Williams’ expectations?
“I don’t have any,” he said. “You trust yourself, you believe in your ability and that’s what I’m going to be doing out there. I’m not going out thinking I’m going to score a hat trick my first game. I’m going to go out thinking I’m going to be an effective player. That’s what I’m here to do and that’s what I expect to be.
“I said a few weeks ago when I signed that I must find my area, find my fit with this team. It could be a lot different than last year. It could be the same as last year. You never know.”
This story was originally published January 18, 2020 at 3:29 PM.
