Johansson Gets the Start Against New York
Jonas Johansson will be in the crease Saturday against the Rangers, Travis Green confirmed before the morning skate. It's the latest shuffle in a goaltending situation that changed fast — Linus Ullmark went on injury reserve two days ago after leaving Thursday's game against Florida, and as I noted yesterday, Leevi Merilainen and Samuel Ersson were the names to watch. Johansson stepping in front of them for this one suggests Green wants a veteran presence for a road-type matchup, though no explanation beyond the lineup announcement has been given.
Up front, Andre Burakovsky draws back in, replacing Hayden Hodgson. The left wing position has been a real problem all month — William Eklund is gone for 10 to 12 weeks after ankle surgery, and the depth behind him has not filled the void. Burakovsky's return at least puts a known quantity back in the lineup.
Ottawa is managing a lot of moving parts right now. Chabot is still out. Eklund is still out. The goaltending depth is being tested in real time. Green has his extension; tonight he has Johansson and a reshuffled forward group against New York.