It’s not very often that the Boston Bruins should be making a video tribute to a guy who has played only 32 games in it’s uniform, but that would be the case with Marcus Johansson.
A guy, who has truly surprised many and made his best efforts to help the Boston Bruins winning the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to help the Bruins win all 16 games required. Nevertheless, thank you Marcus Johansson!
The Boston Bruins acquired Marcus Johansson at the trade deadline for a couple of draft picks in a trade with the New Jersey Devils. Very shortly afterwards, the 28-year-old winger went absent with a lung contusion and some of the Boston Bruins fanbase, maybe even majority of them, had the Rick Nash script written all over that situation. But ultimately, almost every Boston Bruins fan will find a second and say: Marcus Johansson, thank you!
In the regular season, Johansson played in just 10 games with the Bruins. He scored his first goal in the closing week of the regular season against the Columbus Blue Jackets. That seemed to be his last and lone goal in a Boston Bruins uniform. In the first round of the playoffs, Johansson missed two games because of an illness.
After he returned, the Bruins found themselves down in the series versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ahead of Game 6, the Bruins faced elimination. In that Game 6, Johansson was called as marshmallow soft by the NBCSN ‘expert’ Mike Milbury. In Game 7, Johansson scored a game-winning goal.
After the Boston Bruins made it to the second round, the Stanley Cup heat started again in Boston. In the first two games against Columbus in the second round, Marcus Johansson combined for three assists. But he saved his first goal of the series for the series-clinching Game 6, beating
with a long-range shot to make it 2-0 in the third period and pretty much seal the deal for Boston. Third round incoming.
The toughest game of the series for the Bruins probably was Game 3 on the road, but certainly, Game 1 with the Carolina Hurricanes leading 2-1 after two periods, was the toughest one. Marcus Johansson was the one who tied the game up at two apiece at the beginning of the third frame. That was followed by the Bruins sweep.
In the Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues, Johansson maybe wasn’t as productive, apart from his two points in a huge Game 3 win, but his game and confidence were at their best. At times, Johansson was skating beautifully through the Blues defense. Unfortunately for him and for the Bruins as well, it wasn’t meant to be in Game 7.
The Swedish winger has worked himself out to be one of the most unexpected fan favorites after the initial doubts following his Trade Deadline acquisition. The Bruins couldn’t afford his services for longer, also because of some bad deals from the past and tight salary cap situation. Nonetheless, Marcus Johansson would’ve been such a great fit in the Boston Bruins uniform longer-term.
Wishing him the Stanley Cup glory one day. Who knows, maybe in the Bruins uniform? Anyway, Marcus Johansson, thank you from all of the Boston Bruins fanbase!