Ryan Johansen spent Game 4 of the AHL playoffs as a healthy scratch for Springfield. He recorded one assist and a minus-8 rating in the first three games of the series in what ended up as a second-round sweep for Syracuse. "I just felt like his level of play wasn't where it needed to be," coach Brad Larsen said. "We talked after Game 2, and I tried to ramp him up. In Game 3, we just felt like he wasn't all there, like he wasn't invested 100 percent." He didn't require permission from the team's brass to scratch Johansen, but they understood and supported his decision. Johansen played better defensively down the stretch for the Blue Jackets, but he recorded just 12 points in 40 games.