Nashville Predators Ryan Johansen: The Center They Needed

Nashville Predators Ryan Johansen Saved The Regular Season And Remains a Key Piece Of Postseason Success. 

The Nashville Predators have to feel good about the big trade. While it is still far too soon to say there was a clear cut winner in the Ryan Johansen and Seth Jones trade, the Predators would have a hard time not being thrilled about their early returns on the blockbuster move between Columbus and Nashville.   Before Johansen took over as the top line center, the Predators were a team that would do many things right each and every night and still walk away frustrated and without a win despite outshooting,

Before Johansen took over as the top line center, the Predators were a team that would do many things right each and every night and still walk away frustrated and without a win despite outshooting, out-chancing, and outworking their opponents.

After a notable two point debut (1g,1a) for Johansen, the Predators fortunes noticeably began to change for the better. Slowly at first as the newest player to wear the gold began to build chemistry with his new linemates before the team absolutely erupted in late January and went on the best points streak in franchise history before settling into a playoff spot as the first wild card in the Western Conference.

The Predators found everything they needed in Johansen in order to return to the playoffs after a disappointingly early exit the year before against Chicago. They found a center who could match up against other top line players and win faceoffs while still playing an excellent two-way game and most importantly he gave the Predators a chance to win each and every night. Fast forward to the post-season and Johansen is still at the forefront of the team’s success.

Johansen’s First Postseason In Nashville

After 11 playoff games so far this postseason Ryan Johansen has 7 points (3g, 4a) to his name, good enough for third-most points on the team in a three-way way tie with Mattias Ekholm and Shea Weber, two points on the powerplay, and is the only Predators centerman with a positive Faceoff Percentage besides Paul Gaustad.

Solid offensive stats aside Johansen and his line have done an excellent job of playing against and shutting down the top lines of the Anaheim Ducks and to a slightly lesser degree thus far, the San Jose Sharks. Perhaps most impressively Johansen and the Predators managed to shut down Corey Perry entirely in their first round matchup with the Ducks. Perry is a previous winner of the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the league’s best goal scorer after netting 50 goals in 2011 and has only scored less than 25 goals in a season once, his rookie season, after 11 years in the NHL. Yet Nashville limited him to just 4 assists in the series and no goals at all.

While Johansen and his line can’t take all the credit surely they deserve plenty of praise for their role in battling against such a dynamic top line and shutting down their leading goal scorer for the entire series. It’s this kind of play that the Predators will need if they hope to beat the Sharks and move on to the conference finals for the first time in franchise history.

The Nashville Predators responded nicely in a 4-1 win at home in Game 3 after dropping the first two games to the Sharks  and they won their historic 3 OT Thriller.  They still need to be able to shut down San Jose’s top players, which they weren’t able to do in Game 2 as Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, and Logan Couture accounted for all three of the Sharks goals if they want to win this series with San Jose.

Next: Through the Eyes of a Shark

Game 5 is tonight and it is at the Shark Tank. Let’s see if Ryan Johansen and the boys can slow down the Sharks superstars and grab a huge win in San Jose before coming back home and finishing them off. Let’s go Predators!!