Jonas Johansson has had two shutouts in his only two games with Tampa Bay. He'll get one more opportunity to make his case in tonight's last preseason game vs the Panthers.

A little over a week ago, there were multiple levels of uncertainty surrounding the Lightning when news broke that Andrei Vasilevskiy would miss the first two months of the season to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. It all happened very quickly. For Vasilevskiy, the pain started in August and initially an injection resolved it. 

The Lightning hoped the injury wouldn't require surgery but that wasn't the case. The decision was made within hours of his procedure according to Lightning Coach Jon Cooper. 

For Jonas Johansson, an opportunity to be the official backup for the league's top goalie quickly turned into a role that was crucial for a team vying to make another Stanley Cup run. Johansson is coming off a strong AHL season in Colorado’s organization with just 35 NHL games on his resume. 

Since the announcement of Vasilevskiy’s injury, Johansson has had a couple of opportunities to make an impact in a Lightning sweater. He’s participated in two preseason games and had shutouts in both, stopping 67 shots total. The sample size is small, but so far he’s making a strong case for why he's the guy the Lightning can count on. 

“He’s a kid that’s been in the league a little bit, but he’s not ever really gotten his chance,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said last week. 

“So you never know when you’re going to get it. Obviously, he signed here knowing he wasn’t coming in to be the starting goaltender, and all of a sudden he’s thrust into a situation where playing time might go up.”

Regardless of the opportunity, Johansson hasn’t let the pressure change his overall demeanor. He comes off as calm and steady both on and off the ice. He’s been working with Lightning goaltender coach Frantz Jean to fine tune small details of his game.

“I always try to prepare as if I’m going to play every game,” Johansson said after his Lightning debut. “It doesn’t matter what position I’m in, really. The biggest thing for me, I think, is showing up in practice and being good every day. That helps in games too, so that’s just my main focus.”

Lightning Captain Steven Stamkos wasn’t familiar with Johansson’s game until he joined the Lightning for training camp. He’s been impressed with his ability to stay calm in pressure situations. 

“He’s a really good teammate, works extremely hard in practice. The thing that sticks out in games is the calmness he brings in the net. He uses his size to his advantage, lets pucks kind of hit him instead of trying to be over challenging. He’s looked really good”

So far Johansson is enjoying where he’s at and is quickly starting to build rapport with his new teammates. He and his wife arrived in Tampa earlier in the summer and have felt welcomed since the beginning. 

“We got here a little early. Got to know the city, the staff and then the players. Me and my wife really love it here, it’s perfect.”

Coming over from the Avalanche organization, Johansson is familiar with being a part of a winning organization and what it entails. 

"You can tell there's been a lot of success on this team. Just the way the staff and the veteran players are. It's great to see and it's been great to learn from. It's cool to be a part of, I'm just excited." 

Head coach Jon Cooper is continuing to evaluate where the Lightning stand with goaltending. He’s expected to make decisions following the last preseason game on Saturday night in Sunrise.

“There's a reason we brought these goaltenders in and that was to solidify that position in our organization and on this team. So far, they've proven we've got some depth there.”

“Getting the news about Vas, you know, a little over a week ago, these guys really stepped up their game, so it's been great.”

Johansson will get one more shot to state his case for the back up goaltending position before Opening Night. The Lightning will kick off the 2023-24 NHL season vs the Predators on October 10th at Amalie Arena.