Marcus Johansson’s Series-Winning Rebound
I almost chose Justin Williams’ OT winner from Game 5 of this series, but my gut told me I had to go with Johansson’s series winner.
Everything about this goal is under-appreciated, starting with the guy who scored it. Marcus Johansson, or “Mojo” as many have taken to calling him, was an underrated Capital and one of my favorites. He was very smooth with the puck, had a magnificent vision, and was notoriously good at powerplay zone entries while he was with the Capitals. He didn’t put up crazy numbers, but was a unique player in that he was a great second-liner, and an exceptional third-liner. His skill set was excellent enough that he could play in the middle of the lineup on either line and excel. He was a great Capital who is forgotten about since they won the Cup after he exited the team.
This goal is under-appreciated because it was just a first-round series-winner in a postseason where they didn’t make it past the second round. But it’s easy to forget how intense this series was. The President’s Trophy winning Capitals were playing the surprise Toronto Maple Leafs who stunned the hockey world and made the playoffs in their first year with rookie phenom, Auston Matthews. People expected the Caps to walk all over the Leafs, but 5 of the 6 games in this series went to overtime. The Leafs even had a 2-1 series lead at one point. So Williams’ OT winner in Game 5 was crucial because it gave the Caps the series lead, but this Johansson finisher signified a collective exhale from all D.C. fans.
I remember watching this game alone in my living room, yelling when that puck crossed the line so loud that my brother laughed from the other room. I’m generally a pretty quiet hockey fan so that should exemplify just how relieving and exciting this goal actually was.