Lynx goaltenders dealing with injury bug

When Trevor Cunning got hit in the neck with a puck during warm-ups for the Augusta Lynx's game against the South Carolina Stingrays on Saturday, he wasn't the only one in pain.

"That was just not a good experience for me," Jason Wolfe said.

Cunning was scheduled to start at goaltender for the Lynx and Wolfe, who is nursing a groin injury, was still recovering from playing in net the night before and had been barely warming up when Cunning went down.

"When he went off the ice, I thought I really might have to play at that point," Wolfe said Monday. "Then I had to try and warm up as fast as I could to get ready to actually play a game, which would have been a struggle even if I had warmed up expecting to play the whole time. So, it was a little scary at that point."

Lucky for Wolfe, Cunning only sustained a red welt and a sore neck and went out and helped the Lynx to a 3-2 shootout win. Wolfe, meanwhile, watched the game from right outside the rink door that leads to Augusta's locker room instead of the team's bench.

"To sit on the bench for three hours straight would not have been the best idea," said Wolfe, who, at 6-foot-5, is a tight squeeze on the bench even when healthy. "They might've needed a crane to get me out of there."

ANOTHER LEVEL: Center Jamie Johnson is making a case for a full-time roster spot with the American Hockey League's Iowa Stars.

The third-year professional was recalled by the Stars last week and scored one goal and had four assists in two-plus games over the weekend. The Stars' Sunday game was postponed after two periods.

Johnson had two goals and four assists in seven games with the Lynx.

- Left wing Jake Riddle was recalled by the AHL's Portland Pirates on Wednesday. This is Riddle's third stint with the Pirates this season. He has one goal and two assists in seven games for the Lynx.

- Former Lynx Greg Jacina made his NHL debut in the Florida Panthers' 5-4 loss to Philadelphia. Jacina was an all-star for the Lynx during his rookie season in 2003-04. He finished that season with 15 goals and 23 assists in 58 games.

INJURY UPDATE: Center Doug Wright said Monday that he's getting closer to returning to the ice for the first time this season. Wright, whom the Lynx traded for toward the end of last season, said he tore a couple of pieces of cartilage off in his right knee the first day of training camp. He kept playing for another week, but eventually had to have his knee scoped because one of the pieces of cartilage got stuck in the knee joint.

Wright said he hopes to start skating by next week.

"I've had enough of watching practice and watching the games," he said.

Coach Bob Ferguson said defenseman Steve LeCuyer will be activated from injured reserve sometime prior to Friday's game, and forward Sam Ftorek, who suffered an ankle injury in practice Monday, was listed as day-to-day by Ferguson on Wednesday.

MOST IMPROVED: Ferguson said that rookie defenseman Ken Scuderi is one of his most improved players so far.

Scuderi showed it by having a big game Saturday. He had an assist from the point on Joe Pereira's goal, stopped several shots and retrieved Cunning's stick after the goaltender lost it into the corner.

"He does little things that coaches appreciate," Ferguson said. "He blocks shots, he finishes checks. There's more to playing defenseman than just stopping rushes, there's a lot of little things.

"He makes the good outlet pass, he doesn't turn it over. Little things like that add up to a good, quality defenseman."

Reach Kristy Shonka at (706) 823-3216 or kristy.shonka@augustachronicle.com.