Johnson's Michigan mindset electrifies Edmonton

SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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Team Canada practised at the Downtown Community Arena in Edmonton on Sunday. 

On the first day of Team Canada's training camp, Kent Johnson casually scored a lacrosse goal during a drill. 

"I actually said to him the first day, 'Johnny, I better see you pull that off this tournament,' and he looked at me and said, 'Yeah, that's what the goal is,'" revealed left winger Brennan Othmann. 

When Johnson got the puck on his blade behind the net late in the first period on Saturday, Othmann flashed back to that conversation. 

"I looked over and said, 'OK, that's it.' And then he did it and I was like, 'This guy's disgusting.'"

The 'Michigan goal' is becoming more common in hockey, but to pull off the move on this stage – in a tie game at the World Juniors on home ice – is something special. 

"It happened pretty quick," Johnson said. "I got a loose puck behind the net and there was no d-man on the post so I just went for it. There was a lot of room."

"That was probably one of the nicest Michigans I've seen," said Team Canada captain Mason McTavish. "He got it up so fast. It's the last minute of the first period and the ice isn't that great then. That was something special to watch. I'll definitely be watching that over and over again."

Team Canada centre Logan Stankoven put his hands on his head while skating over to celebrate the magical marker. 

"I was just in shock," the reigning Canadian Hockey League player of the year said. "I was like, 'Wow! One of my linemates just pulled off the lacrosse move.' It's something you see on the SportsCentre top 10 not something you really see in real life."

Johnson seemed to be snakebitten at this year's World Juniors before he electrified Edmonton on