That long journey was part of the reason why Johansson, despite difficult circumstances, was able to enjoy his NHL debut on Tuesday night. He entered the game against Colorado in relief of Carter Hutton with the Sabres trailing 5-1 in the second period. The first shot he faced was a perfectly placed attempt from Mikko Rantanen on 2-on-1 rush that went in off the crossbar.
After that, Johansson recovered to stop Colorado's final 13 shots. Coach Ralph Krueger said the rookie will make his first start for Buffalo in one of the team's upcoming back-to-back games, at home against Detroit on Thursday or in New York against the Rangers on Friday.
"Coming in there in the second period when he did and us down 5-1, it was a situation where we all felt that that could go either way," Krueger said. "It could have gone rough for him or it was an opportunity for him to get some confidence.
"We feel the way it evolved and the way he put away that first goal, the sixth against, and then finished out the game was really solid. We liked the way he positioned himself, the way he played with the puck and involved himself in the game and it was definitely a good sign for us as a club moving forward."