"In his first NHL exhibition game, Ryan Johansen had a statistical line that looked more befitting of a stay-at-home defenseman than a first-line center. Johansen produced no points, one shot and two hits in the Blue Jackets' 6-2 loss last night to the Washington Capitals in Nationwide Arena. But anyone who saw the No. 4 overall pick in this year's draft feathering passes to linemates and spotting defensemen cutting to the net recognizes the 18-year-old's potential. On a night the Jackets put their last five first-round selections in the lineup, Johansen supplied an encouraging performance. He centered a first line with R.J. Umberger and captain Rick Nash, setting up a handful of quality chances. The Jackets' inability to finish early opportunities and the work of Capitals starting goaltender Semyon Varlamov went a long way in deciding the outcome. They trailed 2-0 midway through the game when the score got out of hand after Blue Jackets backup Daren Machesney replaced Steve Mason. "I thought our line had a lot of chances and our team had a lot of chances," Johansen said. "I don't know how many posts we hit. But you can never be satisfied with losing a hockey game. The Jackets got goals from Nash and Nikita Filatov, who combined to hit three posts. Nash was pleased with the effort of his young center. Johansen's vision and playmaking are his best attributes and they were evident, particularly in the first two periods. Six minutes into the game, Johansen took a feed from Nash and deftly returned the puck to the captain, who was stationed between the circles for a quality shot. Nash's rebound attempt hit the post." http://www.bluejacketsxtra.com/live.../09/23/johansen-displays-promise.html?sid=101
