Patrick Roy walked to the interview room podium early Wednesday afternoon with a sheet of Avalanche stationary in hand, with handwritten notes on it. “I have to bring my paper, we have so many guys on the injury list,” the Avalanche coach said.

Roughly 16 hours after the Avalanche finished off a 3-2 overtime victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks in Chicago, his team had just finished an optional practice. Eight skaters — including the recuperating P.A. Parenteau and Alex Tanguay — and goalies Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Sami Aittokallio participated.

Roy confirmed that Parenteau seems on track to return to the lineup much sooner that originally expected after suffering a sprained medial collateral ligament against Winnipeg on Dec. 29, and that defenseman Erik Johnson isn’t injured seriously and is “50-50” to play against New Jersey Thursday night.

Johnson didn’t play in the third period in Chicago and fellow defenseman Cory Sarich couldn’t play at all against the Blackhawks, both because of back issues.

As was the original prognosis after the game Wednesday, Roy said Johnson was “day to day” and added that “50-50” designation about the game against New Jersey. “He’s going to skate tomorrow morning and see how his back reacts and then he’ll be a game-time decision,” Roy said.

Roy said Sarich underwent an MRI Wednesday morning, but the team hadn’t yet got the results.

Because of the uncertainty, Roy said, Colorado had recalled defenseman Karl Stollery from the Lake Erie Monsters as a precautionary measure.

Elsewhere on the injury front:

— Paul Stastny (leg) remains day to day.

— Giguere, who also has had back issues, was on the ice for the optional skate. “He’s going to skate again tomorrow, and we’ll know more then whether his back is better.” Aittokallio served as Semyon Varlamov’s backup in the wins at Minnesota Saturday and Chicago.

— Defenseman Nate Guenin, Roy reiterated, will be out another “seven to 10 days” with a bruised ankle. “It’s a bruise, it’s not broken, but it’s a pretty bad bruise,” Roy said.

— Tanguay, who hasn’t played since later October because of hip and knee injuries, “is very happy,” Roy said. “He seems to be improving but he wants to see how he’s going to be when he’s skating with the team (at a full practice).”

— Parenteau’s recovery from a sprained medial collateral ligament is progressing nicely. Originally thought to be out until shortly before or after the Olympic break, Parenteau now return before the end of the month. “He might be back next week or the following week depending on how he’s doing in practice with the guys.”

Per Avalanche injury policy, neither Tanguay nor Parenteau were available to the media because they haven’t participated in a full practice yet.

Terry Frei: tfrei@denverpost.com