Jonas Johansson's Surprise Start Could Be Revealing for Senators
The Ottawa Senators didn't bring Jonas Johansson into the lineup expecting him to become the story, but that's what can happen when a team needs someone to step forward. With Linus Ullmark out with a lower-body injury, Johansson has another chance to show what he can offer. His first impression was encouraging. Now comes the harder part.
Johansson made 24 saves in his Ottawa debut Saturday, helping the Senators earn a 7-4 win over the New York Rangers. He'll get the start again Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights, a club averaging 3.54 goals per game and sitting among the league's more productive offensive teams. This is a different sort of test, and it could tell Ottawa a little more about the depth behind its regular starter.
Related: The Senators Losing Linus Ullmark Could Reveal Something Important
One Win Doesn't Tell the Whole Story.
A 7-4 victory is welcome, of course, but it doesn't necessarily settle any questions about the goaltending. Ottawa scored enough to win a high-scoring game, while Johansson faced 28 shots and stopped 24. That's a respectable first outing, although four goals against also remind us that the Senators will need more than offence if they hope to make life difficult for a team like Vegas.
The important thing is that Johansson gave Ottawa a chance to win his first game with the club. That has value, especially when an injury forces a team to adjust its plans with little warning.
Tuesday offers another chance, but the Senators shouldn't need Johansson to be spectacular every night. They need him to be steady enough that the rest of the team can play its game without feeling it must score four or five goals to have a chance.
The Opportunity for Johansson and the Senators.
At 31, Johansson isn't a young prospect waiting for his first taste of NHL action. He's a veteran who understands that opportunities can arrive unexpectedly, and that making the most of them means being ready when the call comes.
For Ottawa, his situation also highlights something every team learns over a long season: goaltending depth isn't just a name on a roster sheet. It's the difference between an injury becoming a crisis and the team finding a way to manage until its regular starter returns.
Vegas will provide a tough test. Its scoring ability means Johansson may have less room for error, and the Senators will need to be sharper defensively if they want to make his job manageable. Nobody should draw sweeping conclusions from two starts. But Johansson can help Ottawa build confidence that it has a capable option when Ullmark can't play.
Sometimes, a backup's most important contribution isn't taking over the crease permanently. It's keeping the team competitive until the player ahead of him is ready to return. For the Senators, that would be a worthwhile result in itself.