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Jack Hughes continued his heater on Sunday night, powering the New Jersey Devils to victory with a four-point performance against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Let’s get into some takeaways.
Hughes has consistently brought all-world performances to the table since returning from the Olympics but what he did against the Blackhawks was next level.
To say Hughes had the puck on a string would be an understatement. It felt like he had as much possession time as the Blackhawks as a whole.
Shift after shift after shift was spent in the offensive zone, with Hughes and co. routinely keeping Chicago’s players hemmed in for extended stretches.
It felt like every few shifts the Blackhawks broadcast brought up time on ice graphics and the group out there was running at a minute or more.
It wasn’t as if Hughes had the puck but was just wasting time on the perimeter waiting for a lane to open up. He constantly worked into dangerous areas of the ice and tested Spencer Knight.
Jack registered 16 shot attempts, 13 scoring chances, and 10 high-danger opportunities at 5-on-5 alone.
That doesn’t account for anything he did on the man advantage, nor his facilitating. Hughes was much more a shooter than passer and yet he still created a handful of shots for teammates while also picking up a primary assist at 5-on-5.
All told, it was a 19-attempt, 14-chance, four-point performance for the face of the franchise.
It’s Jack’s world and we’re just living in it.