Out of nowhere, Johnson impressive for Hawks

Who is Aaron Johnson, and what is he doing playing significant minutes on defense for the Blackhawks?

Joel Quenneville even admitted he knew little of Johnson when he took over the team last week, but in the first three games under the new coach the 25-year-old defenseman has a goal and an assist and 5 hits while averaging more than 17 minutes of ice time.

"I've been impressed. It's very noticeable that he can see plays and is physical," Quenneville said. "Defensively he's been sharp, he reads and assesses his coverage well, and I like how he supports the attack and has a nice shot. He's been very consistent every night."

Johnson was a quiet free-agent signing by general manager Dale Tallon in mid-July as a veteran of 146 NHL games before this season with Columbus and the Islanders. He had a good training camp, although not good enough to make the club.

But after being sent to Rockford he was quickly recalled when Niklas Hjalmarsson suffered a rib injury on opening night.

"It's funny how things happen," Johnson said. "The first couple of days after I went down I wasn't happy, but then you get this opportunity to play and I'm trying to take advantage of it."

Not only was Johnson recalled, but former coach Denis Savard played him with Brian Campbell, and Quenneville has liked the pairing enough to keep them together.

"Their transition, getting loose pucks and getting on the offensive way, has been effective," Quenneville said. "Overall that pair has been very strong."

Johnson doesn't know how long he'll stay with Campbell, but if he has more games like Wednesday when he scored a goal off the rush in the Hawks' 3-0 win over Edmonton there will be no need to change anything.

"When you're playing physical and putting up points it helps, but it's more a matter of winning," Johnson said.

Johnson's goal off the rush in the second period came on the kind of play Quenneville wants to see. Quenneville gives defensemen the green light to join the attack and even get involved in cycling the puck, and it starts with Campbell, who is like a fourth forward on the ice.

"You watch Brian jump up in the play and it sends a message that, hey, maybe we can go up a little bit too," Quenneville said in referencing the other defensemen. "All our guys are capable of joining the attack.

"As much as you see Brian joining the attack it gives the other teams something to think about regularly. And if we all do it we can be really dangerous off the rush."

The Hawks certainly appear to be getting the hang of the style Quennevile wants to play that starts in their intense practices.

"We feel you play the way you practice and we want to have game situations in practice," Quenneville said. "We feel that's how you're going to improve moving the puck and going after people.

"That pace, we've played three really good games in a row, trying to sustain it from start to finish, and that's what we're trying to accomplish as a group."

• Defenseman Brent Sopel, who sat out Wednesday with an undisclosed injury, practiced Thursday and is "likely to play," Saturday against Detroit, according to Quenneville.