Tyler Johnson has always felt most comfortable playing center. But with the Lightning stocked at that position, keeping the ninth-year veteran among the top six forwards in recent seasons has meant shifting him to wing.
However, as the team maneuvered through an injury to center Anthony Cirelli last month, head coach Jon Cooper gave Johnson some time back at his natural spot.
And when Cooper was looking to switch things up again in the third period of Thursday’s overtime win in Chicago, he placed Johnson back at center, flanking him with wings Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow.
Despite little previous time together, the group has developed quick chemistry, with an energized Johnson anchoring the team’s gritty third line. It paid off again in Tampa Bay’s 4-3 overtime win Tuesday in Detroit.
“I think playing with those guys is something different,” Johnson, 30, said after Wednesday’s practice. “I’ve never really played with them for an extended amount of time, so being able to do that has been a lot of fun. We’re creating a lot of chances. We could have had a lot of goals the last three games.
“So if we continue to play that way, continue to learn from each other and learn where each other is going to be, just kind of building on that chemistry, it’s huge. You change things up, it’s kind of a little fresh start and it’s been fun so far.”
Johnson scored an even-strength, go-ahead goal with his new line in the first period Tuesday, then fed Coleman on a breakaway for the game-winner during the 3-on-3 overtime session. It was Johnson’s first game with a goal and an assist this season.
Perched in front of the crease, Johnson tipped in Coleman’s shot from just inside the blue line to give the Lightning a 2-1 lead with 6:56 left in the first period. Despite giving up 6 inches to Red Wings defenseman Denny DeKeyser, Johnson battled for position in front of the net, using his body to shield himself from DeKeyser before twisting around and tipping Coleman’s shot into the net.
![Lightning center Tyler Johnson (9) redirects the puck towards Detroit Red Wings goaltender Thomas Greiss (29) as Marc Staal (18) defends during Tuesday's game in Detroit.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"%20viewBox="0%200%204936%203291"/%3E "Lightning center Tyler Johnson (9) redirects the puck towards Detroit Red Wings goaltender Thomas Greiss (29) as Marc Staal (18) defends during Tuesday's game in Detroit.")
On the game-winner, Johnson received a stretch pass through the neutral zone from defenseman Mikhail Sergachev on a bad Red Wings line change and made good on a 2-on-1 breakaway with a well-timed, cross-ice pass to Coleman.
“I’ve always enjoyed playing with Johnny when I can, and he’s a really skilled player,” Coleman said. “He slows the game down, he makes things easier for his wingers, he’s good in the dot. He just likes to make a lot of plays, and I enjoy playing with guys like that, who make plays but also compete.
“He’s not afraid to get in the corners and win battles, get to the net. He’s just a really good all-around center, and I think he’s a really dangerous player still. So I enjoy the line right now.”
When the Lightning first returned from last season’s pause in play, Cooper put Johnson between Coleman and Goodrow before switching to Yanni Gourde. The relentlessness Tampa Bay’s third line showed throughout the postseason was a big factor in the Lightning going on to win the Stanley Cup.
Now, Johnson is bringing similar energy to the line.
“He’s really kind of jumped into that role with Coleman and Goodrow in the same way (Gourde) did, and the line never skipped a beat,” Cooper said. “He gets around the ice pretty well, so putting him in that spot, and when is compete level’s where it is right now, he’s a hell of a centerman.”
The latest shuffling included Cirelli moving to the first line to play wing alongside Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point, while Gourde and Steven Stamkos dropped to the second line to join Alex Killorn. The result has been more scoring opportunities the past three games.
“The way we’ve restructured our lines, it puts some guys into their natural positions,” Cooper said. “We have so many natural centermen. Stammer’s played center for much of his career, Cirelli, (too), and you’re asking guys to kind of change their roles a bit. But the way we play and the chemistry some of these guys have, they can work through it.”
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