Confidence is growing for Red Wings rookie Albert Johansson
Rookie defenseman Albert Johansson has been one of the key surprises of the storyline that has been this year for the Detroit Red Wings.
The Detroit Red Wings were in a sticky situation when veteran defenseman Jeff Petry went down with an injury on January 2 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
They re-called rookie defenseman Albert Johansson from the Grand Rapids Griffins, and he's remained in the lineup ever since.
Johansson has impressed in the 34 games he's appeared in, and his confidence is only growing.
I just try to take advantage of that opportunity every day. It obviously helps to play with Simon (Edvinsson). We've played before in Grand Rapids, so we know each other on the ice. I think that helps.
When you play more minutes, you're in the game more and your confidence is getting higher and higher. You start to feel more comfortable out there.
When you play more minutes, you're in the game more and your confidence is getting higher and higher. You start to feel more comfortable out there.
He's also said he was looking forward to the break over the next 2 weeks.
It's nice to get a couple days off to try to relax your body and brain. You can do something other than just think about hockey. You can reset your mind, come back and be well-rested to focus on the rest of the season. We're in a good spot. A bunch of road games coming up, but I think we're feeling good about playing on the road after our last road trip.
Todd McLellan named Albert Johansson as the biggest pleasant surprise
Earlier in the year, head coach Todd McLellan named Johansson as the biggest pleasant surprise since he returned to the team on December 26.
I knew nothing about Albert. We get here and he's kind of parked on the shelf, and everybody's playing and we're trying to figure players out. I think his rise has been remarkable, really, unless I underestimated him too, and that's on me. He's played steady in all three zones.
There's some fierceness in his game. When he gets engaged with bodies and battles, he wins a lot of them.
There's some fierceness in his game. When he gets engaged with bodies and battles, he wins a lot of them.
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9 HOURS AGO | 33 ANSWERS Confidence is growing for Red Wings rookie Albert Johansson Has Albert Johansson earned a permanent spot on the Red Wings? | ||
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