There wasn’t much space on the ice last night. The Columbus Blue Jackets suffocated the Montreal Canadiens’ offence with timely and relentless pressure, showing their hard-working identity inspired by John Tortorella’s coaching style. It was the kind of game where single events are magnified; any rare break through the layers of defence has the potential to become the deciding play of the game.
It’s in those tightly played back-and-forth matches that the best players have to shine through, make the extra effort, pierce through the walls put up by the opposition to get the team ahead in, or back into, the game.