Capitals center Marcus Johansson has gone from healthy scratch on opening night to a goal-scoring fiend. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. But he was certainly a dominant player last Monday against Tampa Bay and added another strong performance against Ottawa on Saturday, including his second goal of the year – both on wrap-around attempts. Is that his new go-to move?
“I was looking for Sasha [Alex Semin] in the middle, but I couldn’t find him and I just tried to get it to the net. Sometimes it works,” Johansson said. “No, actually I never do that otherwise. But it works sometimes, so why not?”
Fair enough. At some point opposing defenders might want to keep Johansson from building up that head of steam he uses to power around the net. The key, according to Caps coach Bruce Boudreau, is adjusting when defensemen start cheating. Go behind the goal, take a defenseman with you and dish the puck to an open teammate. Easy, right?
Maybe not. But Johansson’s speed definitely gets the opposition on its heels, Washington forward Mike Knuble said. Even in his second full seasons the book may not yet be out on Johansson. But using that speed to the outside is his game right now. Knuble had the primary assist on Johansson’s goal at 12:01 of the first period on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators.
“I told him on the bench. “You don’t see those anymore.’ That play,” Knuble said of the wrap-around. “But he’s smart about it because he’ll build speed and then he’ll come flying through the neutral zone – I sort of back-passed it to him because I knew he was coming with speed. Probably, some people are figuring out that he’s pretty fast coming around the outside….He’s getting that puck to the net and that’s how you score goals.”
It was nice for the Caps to see both of their resident Swedes get on the scoreboard. Nicklas Backstrom opened the scoring when he slammed home a pass from Semin on the power play. Right, place, right time, Backstrom said. Still, after a frustrating goal drought to end last season it was nice to get on the board. Backstrom has a goal and four assists in four games. He last scored a goal March 22 against Philadelphia – thanks in part, of course, to the lingering effects of a broken thumb suffered Feb. 21 against Pittsburgh. Johansson, meanwhile, has two goals and an assist so far – and showing a willingness to try new things.
“That’s just confidence,” Knuble said. “[Johansson is] just trying to stick and figure out his way through the league. But he and Nick are a good one-two right now because Nick is east-west and he’s real crafty that way and Marcus is more north-south. It’s kind of a good little contrast in styles.”
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