The Tampa Bay Lightning entered the holiday break with a 4-0 win over the Florida Panthers. Backup goalie Jonas Johansson put on a clinic between the pipes, making 36 saves against one of the top-scoring teams in the NHL. It was a strong enough night that it bumped up his save percentage (SV%) on the season from .882 to .902.
This was not his first shutout; it was his fourth and his third with the Lightning. He posted them in back-to-back games last season. But it reflects the recent run he has been on after a weak start to the season.
Let’s look at his latest run of success and what it means for the Lightning.
From a Liability to Reliability?
Johansson’s numbers haven’t exactly wowed since he arrived in Tampa Bay. He finished last season with a .890 SV% and a negative-8.9 goals saved above expected. His start didn’t help his case for things getting better. In his first three starts – he made his season debut midgame – Johansson allowed five goals or more in each of those starts. He allowed seven goals against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 7-6 overtime loss on Nov. 21.
A few more nights like that and the Lightning might have to look at other options down in the American Hockey League. They’re trying their best to pace star goalie Andrei Vasilevkiy so he can stay healthy and effective. Last season, he was overused following his back surgery and it showed.
Matt Tomkins played six games last season at the NHL level, so he would’ve been a logical first choice. Brandon Halverson is another option with his .934 SV% in 16 games this season. But Johansson put the ideas to bed with his last three games. He had a .966 SV% in that stretch, with his worst night seeing him post a .935 SV% in the game. In two of those games, he faced at least 31 shots on goal.
This is arguably better than his three-game stretch from Oct. 21 to Oct. 26 that included those aforementioned shutouts. His SV% was .962 and his worst game saw a .923 SV%. Even if you’d like to make a case that the stretch from last season is better because there were multiple shutouts, that’s fine. But these last three games are statistically better.
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Sure, two of those games were against an underperforming Nashville Predators and a mediocre Seattle Kraken. But given that he had some weak outings last season against weaker offences, it’s a strong step in the right direction.
Here are a couple of notable examples from last season:
- Ottawa Senators: Four goals on 28 shots (Nov. 4, 2023) – averaged 3.05 goals per game last season (20th in the NHL)
- Chicago Blackhawks: Five goals on 29 shots (Nov. 9, 2023) – averaged 2.17 goals per game (last in NHL)
- New York Islanders: Six goals on 24 shots (Feb. 8) – averaged 2.99 goals per game (22nd in NHL)
Nights when he faced a good number of shots — such as when he gave up four goals on 43 shots on Oct. 30, 2023, against the Kraken — I cut him some slack. The defense in front of him had a lot more to do with it that night. But when the Lightning were limping through much of the season, those games stung more than they might have other times.
So, getting the easy wins is a good start. He could use some work on facing tougher competition. He took on the New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets and got smoked. The Blue Jackets have seen its offense take a step forward this season. He likely would’ve had an easier time against last season’s team.
But getting that win against the Panthers was a possible sign he can handle some tougher competition. While there are no back-to-back nights quite like the one against the Panthers, you never know when he’ll have to step up. Some more games against Devils and Carolina Hurricanes are still on the docket.
Head coach Jon Cooper might roll the dice to give Vasilevskiy a night off later in the season. More nights like what we have seen as of late would help quite a bit. This will help the Lightning stay in the hunt down the stretch. They can win games with a more reliable backup goalie so their prized starter is as healthy and ready as he can be once the Stanley Cup Playoffs come around. Vasilevskiy will play every game then, and the breaks he gets now because the Lightning trust Johansson make that possible.
