I am so glad the Jackets only face Connor McDavid twice a year. He didn't actually convert anything tonight and he still looked by far the best skater on the ice, creating chances out of nothing on several occasions. The kid is unbelievable. Tonight, though, Bobrovsky was better. That save on Pitlick was miraculous.
Other notes from tonight:
- Wild Bill Karlsson's offensive game has improved by leaps and bounds from last season. He's quick, creative, and playing with confidence, a far cry from last year, when he often seemed timid and wasn't using his skills to put points on the board. And his defensive game is just as sound as ever.
- Seth Jones is a superstar. He hasn't gotten his due around the league yet because his game isn't the kind of thing that makes a lot of highlight reels, but if you just watch him in the defensive zone you'll quickly see just how good he is. At one point in this game the Oilers had a two-on-one break and Jones shut it down all on his own and took the puck away cleanly.
- Jack Johnson continues to play better than I ever thought him capable of.
- Great to have Foligno back. He adds a dimension of toughness and strength on the puck that the team looked to be lacking against Detroit and early against the Islanders.
I absolutely love this team. I wish the next game was sooner than Friday.
