If not for Isaac Thompson I think North Dakota would’ve had a hard time staying competitive in this game. The smaller agile forward was able to exploit lanes in his opposition at will, using impressive quickness and secure puck control. While dancing through his opponents, Thompson regularly kept his head up, seeking to identify outlets that would allow him to branch off. While he’s able to make a pretty strong impact with the puck on his stick, Thompson exhibited even more impressive offensive tendencies away from the puck. Although there were some instances towards the end of this game where I grew to be a bit concerned about how he allowed the play to breathe, for the most part he was very proficient at spacing himself out to encourage offensive development. His ability to trace his linemates, while staying out of the traffic caused by his opponents meant that he was often available as an outlet, and one who his linemates knew could do more to develop the play once he had the puck. His goal in the second period was a great example of the level of skill and patience he is capable of in tight areas.

In a game where your team gets shelled, it can be easy to take it easy and phase into the crowd, Isaac Thompson did not do this by any means. No matter what the score was he was engaged in the play, constantly trying to generate offense for his team and turn the tide of the game. His quick hands were his standout feature, he was able to draw defenders in before making a few quick stickhandles and shuffle his way into open ice to get a brief second of time and space to play with. The Penguins’ defensive structure was very hard to penetrate, but he was able to connect on a few impressive passes through seams and traffic to keep the offensive pressure going.

If not for Isaac Thompson I think North Dakota would’ve had a hard time staying competitive in this game. The smaller agile forward was able to exploit lanes in his opposition at will, using impressive quickness and secure puck control. While dancing through his opponents, Thompson regularly kept his head up, seeking to identify outlets that would allow him to branch off. While he’s able to make a pretty strong impact with the puck on his stick, Thompson exhibited even more impressive offensive tendencies away from the puck. Although there were some instances towards the end of this game where I grew to be a bit concerned about how he allowed the play to breathe, for the most part he was very proficient at spacing himself out to encourage offensive development. His ability to trace his linemates, while staying out of the traffic caused by his opponents meant that he was often available as an outlet, and one who his linemates knew could do more to develop the play once he had the puck. His goal in the second period was a great example of the level of skill and patience he is capable of in tight areas.