Ryan Johansen hasn’t had the best year in the NHL. His year has been surrounded by trade rumors and perceived laziness. So when he got called upon to take a shootout attempt in front of a near sellout crowd in Nationwide Arena, he must have carried a weight of the season on his shoulders.
What he ended up doing had to have been such a relief. Or perhaps what he didn’t do.
John Buccigross of ESPN referred to the move as “the dirty downshift”. Not a lot can be done with what he does as any move you make as a goaltender will be immediately taken advantage of by Johansen. He is obviously a talented player and the ongoing situation in Columbus should make the rest of their season interesting even though the team is well out of the playoff race.