Jamie Johnson took a pass from Matt Dzieduszycki at center ice Saturday and skated toward Charlotte goaltender Kelly Guard.
Rory Rawlyk played Johnson tight, but just before the Augusta Lynx forward got to the crease, he made a move on Rawlyk and pushed the puck between the defenseman's legs.
Johnson got past Rawlyk and regained control of the puck in time to lift it over Guard's left shoulder and into the net to tie the game at 2-2 with his sixth goal of the season.
"That was an amazing goal," said forward Ken Magowan, who had a good view from the penalty box. "Best goal of the year we'll probably have, by far."
The goal was the second short-handed goal of the season for the Lynx and first for Johnson, whose specialty is the power play.
"(Johnson) refused to be denied," coach Stan Drulia said. "That's the attitude you have to have."
It's the attitude the Lynx seemed to lack in the back-to-back shutouts that preceded their 4-3 loss to Charlotte, but one they need to maintain tonight and Saturday when they play the Everblades in Estero, Fla. Augusta (7-13-2, 16 points) is looking to end a five-game losing streak before it gets a week off for the holidays.
In Florida (12-11-1, 25 points), the Lynx face a team that is 6-3-1 in its past 10 games, but 0-2-1 in its past three.
The Lynx desperately need to take advantage of Florida's recent struggles in order to snap out of their recent slump.
If they do, expect Johnson to add a few more points to his team-leading total.
The 22-year-old forward has recorded six of his 18 points in the past four games the Lynx have recorded a goal, including three points Saturday.
He's a driving force on the Lynx's ever-improving power play, which ranks 19th in the 28-team ECHL and scores on 14 percent of its chances. That's much better than a month ago when the Lynx were 26th in the league and converted only 8 percent of the time.
"We're all on the same page," Johnson said. "We all have the same play in mind before we go on the ice and we're always working really hard to get control of the puck."
Once the Lynx get control of the puck, Johnson tends to take over. He leads the Lynx and is third in the league with 11 power-play points.
Johnson's teammates say that's because he has an uncanny ability to find the open man on the ice.
"He's one of the best guys I've played with that can work the puck down low and always seems to find an open guy, no matter where he is," defenseman Lawne Snyder said.
They say he's patient and he keeps his head up, always ready to fire the puck to a teammate - whether the teammate is ready or not.
"You've always got to be ready for it, even if he doesn't have the puck yet, because he might just steal it from the guy and throw it out to you," Magowan said.
That tendency has resulted in 12 assists, eight of them on a power play.
There's little doubt he'd have more assists if the Lynx could find the net more often than a league-worst two times per game.
Because of those scoring woes, the Lynx have needed goals wherever they can get them, and Johnson has shown he's up to the challenge.
"He's so patient with the puck and he's got so much confidence that if you give him any time when he has it, he'll make plays and he'll put it in the back of the net," Magowan said.
Just ask Charlotte's Rawlyk.
Reach Kristy Shonka at (706) 823-3216 or kristy.shonka@augustachronicle.com.
Augusta Lynx at Florida Everblades
WHEN: 7:30 tonight and 7:30 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Germain Arena, Estero, Fla.
RADIO: WRDW-AM 1630
WEBCAST: www.augustalynx.com.
This is a box
box copy goes under the box head.
This box has lead-ins: Unlike the last box,which had bullets. And bullets with hanging indents, no less.
Look, here's another one: Aren't boxes great?
Source: Adam R. Smith
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