Hardly a work of art, Ryan Johansen's first ever National Hockey League goal served a couple other very significant purposes Tuesday.
It painted the Columbus Blue Jackets into the win column for the first time in nine games this regular season, and it came against one of the NHL's most decorated teams, the Detroit Red Wings.
And, as much as anything, that brought a colourful smile to Johansen's face.
"It wouldn't have felt as good if we had lost again," the 19-year-old Port Moody native said via the Blue Jackets team website. "This is definitely a great feeling.
"We have to make sure we're in the right spots against a team like Detroit, and we made sure we were doing that tonight."
Johansen scored on a Columbus powerplay when he corralled a point shot off the end boards behind the Detroit net and his quick forehand shot bounced in off an unsuspecting Red Wings goalie Ty Conklin, snapping a 1-1 deadlock and proving the game winner at 8:56 of the first period. Earlier, he assisted on R.J. Umberger's game-opening tally, giving Johansen three points in his five appearances thus far with the Jackets, who had seven defeats and a shootout loss entering their battle with Detroit.
Johansen was rumored to be on his way back to the Western Hockey League's Portland Winterhawks once he hit the nine NHL games maximum permitted to a junior-eligible rookie but his exact status remains in limbo, his dad Randall Johansen told The Tri-City News on Wednesday.
"Things are a lot better than they were," Randall said, acknowledging that Ryan's shifts per game have increased from 11 in each of his first two NHL tilts to 20 and 25 his last two outings, in which he's recorded his three points on a goal and two helpers. "I think he's playing better. He's six-foot-three and has gained 10 pounds [over summer], so he can handle the crashing and banging.
"I think he's ready [to stick in the NHL] but I'm his dad so I don't count when it comes to making that decision."
Randall said Ryan intentionally -- and successfully -- intended to carom the puck in off Conklin on his momentous marker.
"That's what he was trying to do," Randall said. "He saw the goalie cheating and tried to bank it on off him. It doesn't matter how it goes in, it counts and that's all that matters."
Johansen was the fourth overall choice by the Blue Jackets in the 2010 NHL draft and racked up 92 points, including 40 goals, with the Winterhawks last campaign. He also notched nine points in seven games with Canada's silver-medallist squad at last winter's World Junior Championships in Buffalo, N.Y.
