Game Day #19: Kent Johnson Returns To The Lineup As Blue Jackets Host The Tampa Bay Lightning

Kent Johnson is back.

The Columbus Blue Jackets activated the young forward off injured and he is in the lineup for Thursday night's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

All indications are that he'll play on the wing opposite of James van Riemsdyk and centered by Adam Fantilli. Head coach Dean Evason has been looking for a spark to plug in on Fantilli's line since Johnson had went out October 17th, to mixed results. His return to the ice adds not only a playmaker to the Columbus lineup, but provides a more balanced offensive attack.

Balance is a key to beating the Lightning, who come to Columbus on a three-game winning streak. They had a season-high 68 shot attempts in their overtime win Tuesday against Pittsburgh, and any team with Nikita Kucherov on it is one to be careful against.

Here's what else to know when the Blue Jackets and Lightning meet at Nationwide: 

• The sample size was small, but Johnson sure looked to be early on in a breakout season when he was injured. He had two goals and three assists in just 67 minutes through the four games he played and was driving the play when on the ice. 
   
• There's some shuffling in the defensive pairings, with Damon Severson and Jack Johnson together for the first time this season. With Johnson a rotating defenseman so far this season, it could be an indication that the team isn't seeing enough from Severson to warrant the bigger minutes.
   
• Depending on how one defines "best", Elvis Merzlikins had his best start of the season Monday against the Boston Bruins. It wasn't a shutout and it wasn't the most saves he's made in a game, but Merzly was made a number of significant saves, particularly early on when the game was up for grabs. He's between the pipes again Thursday and is cementing himself as the team's number one goalie for the first time in several seasons.
   
• With Johnson in the lineup, that means that Kevin Labanc comes out. On the defensive side of things, Jack Johnson is back in the lineup in place of David Jiricek, who was loaned to the Cleveland Monsters on Wednesday. Here are the projected lineups for Thursday's tilt: