News:Marcus Johansson scored the go-ahead goal, which turned out to be the game-winner, in the second period of Thursday's Game 1 win over the Rangers.
Analysis: He was on the ice for 16 minutes Thursday, including 2:35 on the power play and 1:24 on the PK. Marcus Johansson tallied 22 points in an injury-shortened regular season for Washington -- 12 of them in his last 14 games. Clearly, he's heated up at the right time.
News:Marcus Johansson limped off the ice Thursday morning after being struck by a shot, Katie Carrera of the Washington Post reports.
Analysis: When asked about Marcus Johansson's status in advance of Thursday's game against the Senators, coach Adam Oates said, "he's going to be fine." We'll let you know if that assessment changes, though.
News:Marcus Johansson (soreness) scored a goal during the Capitals' 5-1 win over the Maple Leafs on Tuesday.
Analysis:Marcus Johansson left practice Monday due to soreness, but was able to play Tuesday, and registered one goal and 15:52 TOI.
News:Marcus Johansson (lower body) left practice early Monday, the Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Head coach Adam Oates described the forward as "a little sore," and expects him to be able to play Tuesday against the Maple Leafs. Marcus Johansson has three goals and 12 assists in 15 games since being reunited with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom on the Caps' top line.
News:Marcus Johansson notched a goal and an assist in Thursday's win over Winnipeg.
Analysis: That's five points in the last four games for Marcus Johansson, who seems to be finding his legs after missing more than a month with a concussion.
News:Marcus Johansson played for the first time since February 7 in a 4-1 loss to the Rangers on Saturday.
Analysis:Marcus Johansson had been out with concussion symptoms and was cleared for contact in practice on Wednesday. He played for about 15 minutes and notched an assist Sunday.
News:Marcus Johansson (upper body) was cleared to return to full-contact practice Wednesday after passing a neuropsych test, the Washington Post reports.
Analysis:Marcus Johansson has sat out the last 10 games with what the team termed an upper-body injury, though it's possible he sustained some sort of concussion. He will now be able to practice without restrictions, at which point the team will likely determine a timetable for his return.
News:Marcus Johansson (upper body) is expected to be cleared for contact soon, the Washington Post reports.
Analysis:Marcus Johansson has missed the Caps' last nine games, and will take a test Monday to clear him for contact. However, if he is cleared, he won't return to the lineup until he gets his conditioning level back up.
News:Marcus Johansson has been placed on IR after missing the past six games with an upper body injury, Katie Carerra of The Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Because the move is retroactive to Feb. 7, Marcus Johansson is eligible to return at any time. In nine games this season, Johansson has scored just one point, a goal.
News:Marcus Johansson (upper body) will not play Tuesday against the Hurricanes, the Washington Post reports.
Analysis:Marcus Johansson centered the second line at practice Monday in place of Nicklas Backstrom (illness), but is not ready to return to the lineup just yet.
News:Marcus Johansson, who has missed four straight games with an upper-body injury, was able to take the ice Thursday, the Washington Post reports. "I'm just taking it day-by-day and hopefully it will be a hundred percent soon, and that's what we're going for," Johansson said. "We have no time or date or anything."
Analysis:Marcus Johansson acknowledged that his unspecified upper body issue has bothered him for "a while," though we suppose that it is encouraging that he was able take the ice Thursday for the second straight day.
News:Marcus Johansson (upper body) is expected to skate Wednesday, the Washington Times reports.
Analysis: How Marcus Johansson looks while skating Wednesday could go a long way toward determining his status for Thursday's game against the Devils. Johansson has had difficulty getting into much of a rhythm this season, totaling just one paltry point and a minus-7 rating in nine games.
News:Marcus Johansson (upper body) will not travel with the team for Sunday's game against the Rangers Katie Carrera of The Washington Post reports.
Analysis:Marcus Johansson will miss his fourth game in a row, although he was able to skate during Friday's practice. Continue to consider him day-to-day despite what has turned into a somewhat prolonged absence.
News:Marcus Johansson (upper body) won't travel with the Caps for Tuesday's game against the Panthers, Katie Carrera of The Washington Post reports.
Analysis:Marcus Johansson apparently suffered his upper body injury against Pittsburgh this past Thursday and it looks like he aggravated it during his skate Saturday.
News:Marcus Johansson, who was reported as a healthy scratch Saturday against Florida, is now day-to-day with an upper-body injury, Katie Carrera of The Washington Post reports.
Analysis: In nine games to date, Marcus Johansson has just one goal and owns a team-worst minus-7 rating. Now that he is listed as dinged up, don't be surprised to see him watch Tuesday's rematch against the Panthers from the press box.
News:Marcus Johansson will be a healthy scratch Saturday against Florida, Katie Carrera of The Washington Post reports.
Analysis: With just one point in nine games, Marcus Johansson has been struggling in a big way at the offensive end after carrying just over a half-point per-game pace last season. Mathieu Perreault will join the lineup in Johansson's place Saturday.
News:Marcus Johansson is active for Thursday night's game against the Leafs, according to Stephen Whyno of The Washington Times.
Analysis:Marcus Johansson had been a healthy scratch in each of the last two games. He struggled to start the season but is hoping a couple games off will improve his focus. In four games this year he has zero points and a minus-5 rating.
News:Marcus Johansson is a healthy scratch for Sunday's game against the Sabres, Katie Carrera of The Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Mathieu Perreault will take Marcus Johansson's place in the lineup Sunday. Johansson has struggled so far this season, recording a minus-5 rating through four games.
News:Marcus Johanssonn has been practicing with the Caps' first line, according to the Washington Times.
Analysis: Capitals coach Adam Oates cited the need for team speed, on both sides of center, as the reason for the move. Marcus Johanssonn had 46 points in 80 games, including 14 goals, with the Capitals last year and spent the lockout playing in Sweden.
News:Marcus Johansson was hastily dropped off at a Swedish gas station while playing for BIK Karlskoga when news of the new CBA was announced.
Analysis:Marcus Johansson had eight goals and 10 assists in 16 games for Karlskoga. He suffered a back injury in November but appears to be recovered. The center had 46 points in 80 games last year.
News:Marcus Johansson is day-to-day with back pains, Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: The young forward is playing for Karlskoga in Sweden's second-tier league and could miss a few games with the back issue. He's scored one goal in his two games for Karlskoga thus far.
News:Marcus Johansson scored the only goal for the Caps in a 4-1 loss to the Bruins on Sunday.
Analysis: The goal was Marcus Johansson's 11th of the season and his first in five games. He has 18 assists and 29 points in 2012.
News:Marcus Johansson (illness) practiced Monday, the Washington Post reports.
Analysis:Marcus Johansson missed Sunday's game with an illness, but he seems to be back to normal. The Capitals' next game is Tuesday against the Bruins.
News:Marcus Johansson (illness) is out for Sunday's game against Pittsburgh, the Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Mathieu Perreault is expected to replace Marcus Johansson and skate alongside Alex Ovechkin on Sunday.
News:Marcus Johansson scored in the first period of a 3-0 win over the Canadiens on Wednesday night.
Analysis: The goal was Marcus Johansson's 10th of the season and gave the Caps an early 2-0 lead. He went 20 games without a goal from November 12 to December 26, with just nine assists during that stretch. He has four goals and five assists in his last 11 games.
News:Marcus Johansson lit the lamp twice against Los Angeles on Monday, giving him nine goals on the season.
Analysis:Marcus Johansson has 24 points in 39 games, but he is also a minus-2 and has a mere six penalty minutes. For fantasy purposes, those are issues that limit his value.
News:Marcus Johansson posted two assists in Tuesday's 4-1 win over Nashville, giving him three assists in the last two games.
Analysis:Marcus Johansson saw some time with Alex Semin and Nicklas Backstrom during the contest. One of the Caps' more promising young players, he's been steadily improving and has a respectable 18 points in 31 games.
News:Marcus Johansson scored his third goal of the season on a power play in the first period of the Capitals' 3-0 shutout of the Panthers on Tuesday night.
Analysis: All three of Johannson's goals have come from behind the net. His first two goals of the season came on wraparounds, and on Tuesday night Marcus had his skates behind the goal line when sneaking the puck through Panthers goalie Jacob Markstrom. Marcus Johansson has four points on the year, two behind team leader Nicklas Backstrom.
News:Marcus Johansson opened the scoring Tuesday night for the Caps, tallying on the power play.
Analysis: After not playing on opening night, Marcus Johansson has three goals in four games and is getting ice-time on the Caps power play.
News:Marcus Johansson will join the Caps' lineup for Monday's game, Katie Carrera of The Washington Post reports.
Analysis: No word yet as to who will be removed from the lineup to make room for him, but Marcus Johansson was a healthy scratch for the season opener and it's unclear as to which line he'll join Monday.
News:Marcus Johansson will be a healthy scratch for the Capitals' season opener, The Washington Post reports.
Analysis:Marcus Johansson will cede his spot in the lineup to Mathieu Perreault, who had a strong preseason. The two will continue battling for playing time early on this season.
News: When you look at Johansson's first year in the NHL, a few games stick out, but he was not very consistent. Down the stretch and into the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs his presence has been felt. The first-round Swede added four (2G, 2A) points in the first round and looks to build on that in the second round.
Analysis: Johansson has become a great secondary source of production for the Capitals and coach Bruce Boudreau. It helped he got so many chances to play on different lines as well during the year.
News: Johansson scored two goals Wednesday night as the Capitals defeated the Rangers 4-3 in double-overtime.
Analysis: It was a big night for the youngster as he tied the game at three apiece with a goal at the 12:07 mark of the third period. Johansson saw 26:27 of icetime and was a plus-3 on the evening.
News: Johansson was centering the third line in Monday's practice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, The Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Johansson has showed signs of his skill this year and as the playoffs near he knows this is where is must perform at his best. Over his last 10 games he has been quiet with three (2G,1A) points and 19 shots. Look into other options as this young kid will make his postseason debut.
News: Johansson scored twice in Tuesday's win over Montreal.
Analysis: The goals were Johansson's first since February 20. He now has points in four straight games, but that streak will likely come to an end once Nicklas Backstrom is able to return from his thumb injury.
News: Johansson added the primary assist on the game-winner Sunday after driving the net and getting a great shot on goal, which gave a juicy rebound for Mike Knuble to bang home.
Analysis: Johansson has been impressive since given the chance to move to the top line with Nicklas Backstrom on the shelf. The rookie has three assists in those three games, including a plus-3 rating, and eight shots on goal. Sunday was his best game with the top tandem, with a helper, plus-1 rating, seven shots, four penalty minutes, three blocked shots, and two hits. Talk about filling the stat sheet. You may want to look into him while Backstrom is out.
News: Johansson came up with the game-winning goal on the power play Sunday, helping the Capitals edge the Sabres by a score of 2-1.
Analysis: Johansson is picking up steam as the owner of three points in the past five contests. Just 20 years old, the Swedish center has a bright future ahead of him and scoring in the clutch can only help his confidence.
News: Johansson has seen more ice time, a second line spot and a boost in confidence recently along with other young players, The Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Over the last 11 games (the last time the team played Ottawa), Johansson along with young guys like Mathieu Perreault, Jay Beagle, John Carlson, and Andrew Gordon have provided 10 of the 27 goals the Caps have scored. It is nice that they can lean on some young guys and they are responding. In regards to Johansson, Coach Bruce Boudreau said, "He's playing great. He's reminding me of [Nicklas Backstrom] my first year -- started slow and as the season got along and he got more acclimated to the league and everything else that he became a great player. He's going to be a fine player." He is worth keeping an eye on, with four (3G,1A) points in his last six contests.
News: Johansson scored his sixth goal of the season during Friday's 4-2 loss to the visiting Canucks.
Analysis: Johansson has now scored three goals in the past three games. Johansson has some work to do to be an every day contributor, but third-period goals like this certainly show promise.
News: Johansson scored twice in Tuesday's loss to Florida.
Analysis: Big things were expected of Johansson at the start of the season, but he has just five goals and nine points on the year. The potential is there, but it's going to be awhile before he realizes it.
News: Johansson (undisclosed) was back to work Thursday centering the third line in a practice before the team gets ready to travel to Pittsburgh, The Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Johansson, like everyone else who has the chance to play in this game, is probably chomping at the bit to play Saturday. If able he will be in the lineup, but confirmation of lineups will not be known until Friday or early Saturday.
News: Johansson (undisclosed) will not play Tuesday and is not skating with the team, reports Katie Carrera of The Washington Post.
Analysis: It is not known at this time if Johansson is dealing with injury or some other issue. Consider him day-to-day and look for further updates on the situation.
News: After a small battle with the flu, Johansson returned to lineup Sunday in Ottawa, but did not add much production (0 shots, minus-1 rating).
Analysis: Getting another healthy body back was good news for the team, as the Caps snapped their eight-game skid. Mathieu Perrault, whom Johansson beat out for the final roster spot in training camp, has been playing well and may cause less playing time for the rookie center.
News: Johansson will not play in Wednesday's game against the Ducks, according to the Washington Post.
Analysis: Johansson will sit out while dealing with an illness. He remains day-to-day.
News: Johansson missed practice Tuesday with flu-like symptoms, the Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Johansson hasn't been particularly productive this year (five points in 21 appearances), so it wouldn't be surprising if he missed Wednesday's game due to this illness.
News: Johansson will be a healthy scratch for Saturday's tilt against Colorado, Katie Carrera of the Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Sitting in the press box, Johansson, the Capitals' first-round draft selection of 2009, will get a different perspective of the game Saturday. This is simply an example of a young player paying his dues in the competitive NHL.
News: The young Swede who was selected in the first round of 2009 has started to show why he made the roster. In his last three games he has three points and is seeing a little more ice time.
Analysis: After suffering an injury in late October and missing almost three weeks he has started to produce. He is not yet worth a fantasy look, but with the recent trade of Tomas Fleischmann, it seems that the organization has full faith he is going to be a vital part of the team's future. Monitor the line he centers as he could be valuable in deeper leagues going forward.
News: Johansson will skate on the top line Wednesday with Alex Ovechkin and Mike Knuble, The Washington Post reports.
Analysis: This may be a temporary shake-up, but anyone who skates with Ovechkin is at least worth a look. Johansson has just one point in eight games and barely sees power-play time, so perhaps the radar here dictates more of the watch-and-see variety.
News: Johansson will return to the lineup Saturday and it is uncertain if he will play on the second or third line, The Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Johansson was impressive during training camp and was able to crack the Opening Night Roster but has yet to show his true ability just yet at the NHL level. His upside will be far greater if playing between Mike Knuble and Brooks Laich and even if so he has yet to prove any fantasy relevance.
Rookie Johannson Returning To Caps After AHL Stint
News: Johansson was recalled to Washington Wednesday after finishing up a "rehab stint" with their AHL club, the Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Johannson had a problem with his hip and the Caps never deemed it to be a rehab stint, but never the less he has returned to D.C. and will likely play Thursday against the Lightning. He should return to centering the third line.
News: Johansson (hip) was assigned to AHL Hershey on Saturday, the Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Johansson narrowly made the roster before the season, but the team has been firing on all cylinders and it would probably benefit the 2009 first-rounder -- who was not exactly lighting it up before his injury -- to develop his game a bit in the AHL. He should return at some point.
News: Johansson (hip) practiced fully Friday, but it is looking like he will be a healthy scratch, The Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Johansson seems to be close to making his return, but he will likely be a scratch Friday as he stayed on the ice for some extra work after the morning skate.
News: Johansson (hip) continues to progress and practiced again Thursday as he inches toward getting back in the lineup, The Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Johansson said he will be ready for the contest Friday, but coach Bruce Boudreau was not so optimistic: "I think he'll potentially be ready...Whether we use him or not, that's another thing."
News: Johansson (hip) will not play Wedneseday against Toronto but is getting close to getting back in the lineup, The Washington Post reports.
Analysis: Johansson skated Tuesday morning with a gold, no contact jersey and only participated in some basic drills. They want to take it easy with the rookie and ensure when he returns there is no chance of it lingering. It seems like he is getting close.
