Halloran was the heart and soul of the Express in my viewings. He played with tremendous pace, commanded the charge in transition, and was the focal point of so much of their play. The quickness and puck skills were at the core of Jackon's game, as he had every tool to gain separation from defenders and dominate with the puck on his stick. He constantly transitioned the puck successfully, gained controlled zone entries, and attacked off the rush. Most of their scoring chance creation came from taking pucks wide and moving it to cutting or trailing teammates. In almost every viewing of the Express this season, Jackson has been the central standout, and it was fantastic to see that still be the case at this stage of the year.

Jackson has been the leading scoring threat for the Express all season, and he played like it in his first two high-stakes playoff games. Jackson is the leading puck transporter on his line and is a force in the neutral zone weaving out of, and around pressure to gain successful entry to the ozone. Once the zone has been gained, Jackson is able to make plays while maintaining speed, and is always processing what he thinks to be the best opportunities to put the puck in the net. If that means holding onto the puck and creating a shot attempt, he’ll do that, and that’s what I loved most about Halloran’s games here. He also scored the OT winner for the Express in game one.