The Nashville Predators center played a huge role in the disposing of the Chicago Blackhawks in four games, leading the team with six points (one goal, five assists) while also going head to head with and containing Jonathan Toews.
A second-round series with the St. Louis Blues is now on deck, and the 24-year-old doesn't see how he can be held back.
"Knowing that I played solid against Toews and got the job done versus him, why can’t I do that against anyone?" he opined, per Adam Vingan of The Tennessean.
In fact, Johansen - who's set to become a restricted free agent on July 1 - is embracing the Stanley Cup Playoffs as a chance to prove he's a bona fide No. 1 center that can be relied upon to come through when it matters most.
"I want to be a guy that’s counted on," he said. "I want to be a guy that must perform for us to be successful ... It’s a fun time right now for me. It’s just a great opportunity for me to go out there and prove myself that I can be a top player in this league on the biggest stage."
Based on how he played against Chicago, he's well on his way.
Game 1 between the Predators and Blues is set for Wednesday in St. Louis.
Bruce Cassidy has officially been named head coach of the Boston Bruins.
The club confirmed Wednesday that the interim tag has been removed from Cassidy's title, making him the 28th head coach in team history.
Following the dismissal of Claude Julien in early February, Cassidy served as acting bench boss over the course of the final 27 regular-season games, guiding the Bruins to a record of 18-8-1 and a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2014. There, Boston fell to the Ottawa Senators in six games.
Prior to joining the Bruins, Cassidy spent five seasons as head coach of Boston's AHL club.
Including a stint with the Washington Capitals from 2002-04, Cassidy's career head coaching record now stands at 65-55-9-8 with two first-round playoff exits.
After an unforeseen first-round sweep at the hands of the Nashville Predators, word on the street is that the sky is falling in Chicago.
Who could've seen that coming, certainly not the entire ESPN panel ... and yours truly, who not only predicted a first-round win by the Blackhawks, but a Stanley Cup victory.
Instead, the NHL's most successful dynasty of the last decade was ousted in four games and - for the second straight year - in the opening round.
With that considered, it's not all that surprising that many are starting to feel that the Blackhawks' heyday is in the rear-view mirror. And with three Stanley Cups in six years from 2010-2015, it's most likely true.
However, to think that the Blackhawks will plummet from the top of the league standings is an outrageous assertion, and here is why:
The numbers back it up
What shouldn't be forgotten is that the Blackhawks had the third-best record in the league this season, behind just the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets.
They paced the Western Conference standings and, against all 29 opponents, had a points percentage of under .500 against just six. In fact, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals were the only teams not to lose to the Blackhawks this season.
In terms of goal scoring, the Blackhawks finished with the ninth-most tallies - averaging 2.93 goals per game - while boasting six 20-goal scorers, the most of any team.
Then there's the goaltending, which has been no slouch either. This season, the Blackhawks allowed the 11th-fewest goals against per game, but had the fifth-best team save percentage.
More important than the other reasons not to discredit the Blackhawks is the simple fact that their failed postseason appears to be more of a one-off than anything.
During the regular season, the Blackhawks were dominant against the Predators, going 4-1-0 and outscoring them 20-13, including three games where the Blackhawks scored five.
This isn't to take anything away form the Predators, but it's clear the Blackhawks got the better of Pekka Rinne during the regular season.
Factor in that the Predators had only won three playoff series' in their previous 18 seasons, and it's also quite clear that history wasn't on the Blackhawks side this time around.
Just look at that roster
In the end, the clearest reason why the Blackhawks will still be a team to be feared is their ridiculous roster.
This roster has proven itself time and again that there's no quit and that they are among the best in the league - hell, they did as much during the regular season.
Not many predicted this fate for the Blackhawks, and it's easy to see why. However, despite their loss, the Blackhawks remain a lethal franchise and they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
The award is given to the player "who applies the core values of hockey - commitment, perseverance, and teamwork - to enrich the lives of people in his community."
The winner will be presented with $25,000 toward a charity of their choosing.
Simmonds has been instrumental in raising money for kids in his native Scarborough, Ontario by hosting Wayne's Road Hockey Warriors for the past five years. The program - which aims to help children learn the fundamentals of hockey - has raised over $100,000.
Hamonic, meanwhile, continues to work with his D-Partner Program that helps children who have lost a parent at a young age. Hamonic has hosted children at Islanders' games and also conducted meet-and-greets and other events with program participants.
The award will be announced Tuesday, June 20 at the 2017 NHL Humanitarian Awards.
Don't expect a farewell tour from Zdeno Chara next season.
The Boston Bruins captain confirmed at the team's locker clean-out Tuesday that he would like to sign a new contract after his current seven-year deal concludes next season, according to WEEI.com's Ty Anderson.
The 40-year-old is coming off his 11th season with the Bruins and 18th in the NHL. He posted 10 goals - his highest total of the past three years - and 29 points in 75 games. Despite his age, he still led the team in ice time, playing an average of 23:20 a night.
Chara will make $4 million next season, and if he can continue to to produce at his current clip, he should be welcomed back with open arms at a similar rate.
A day after admitting to playing with a torn MCL and ACL, San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton underwent successful surgery Tuesday to repair both ligaments, the team announced.
The 37-year-old is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the 2017-18 season, according to the Sharks.
While the news is encouraging, it will be interesting if the injury impacts where he plays next season. Thornton will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and while his 50 points were impressive, he managed just seven goals (with three of them empty-netters).
Still, wisdom would suggest if the Sharks aren't eager to bring him back, another suitor will quickly emerge.
A sports hernia, per OrthoInfo, is "a painful, soft-tissue injury that occurs in the groin area that most often occurs during sports that require sudden changes of direction or intense twisting movements."
Bergeron was still able to appear in 79 regular-season games - earning a Selke Trophy nomination as one of the best two-way forwards in the NHL - but the hernia may explain why he recorded only 12 points from October until the end of December.
In six playoff games, Bergeron scored two goals and added two assists while logging almost 23 minutes a night.
With his season now done, Logan Couture went to the dentist.
The San Jose Sharks forward was struck in the face with a puck late in the regular season, and took some time Monday to start fixing things up after being eliminated from the playoffs by the Edmonton Oilers.
"They’re all damaged," Couture said of his teeth back on April 4. "A lot of these teeth are going to be taken out at some point once the season is over. They’ll have to remove a lot of them from my mouth."
Couture, who likely won't be grilling up any steaks early on this summer, was able to appear in all six playoff games, recording two goals and an assist.
