Evan Bannister is the guy for Credit River and it showed throughout this game, as he was carrying the puck up ice in transition using his powerful stride to blow up the wing and maintain possession of the puck through defenders. He was entering the zone with ease throughout the game and was a lethal player when inside the offensive end, using his brain and skills to get into dirty areas, his goal came off a play where he slipped between opposing defenders undetected and was able to score off a quick pass in the slot. On top of his offensive game, he showcased some two-way abilities and was able to help keep the game a lopsided 4-0 victory for the Capitals.

I liked how Henry used his feet and puck skills in this one. There were some nice plays on retrievals where he used his mobility with some slick puck touches to create space from oncoming forecheckers and find a way to create a lane to move a puck up ice. Breakouts were just calm and calculated with Gavin involved, never panicking and taking his time to find a play up ice. That same sense of confidence enabled Henry to carry pucks up ice in flashes but the primary impact was how cleanly he was at facilitating breakouts all from the patience to take a few extra seconds to process his options and find the right play.

Gavin was a suffocating presence in this game. He applied pressure constantly, shutting down plays, and serving as a strong defensive presence. Using both physical contact and his long reach, Henry consistently made oncoming attackers’ lives difficult and shut plays down. With the puck, he was confident, taking his time, and hitting on his outlet passes. He was reliable with the puck, resulting in a strong performance as a defender who did a lot of things right to keep play out of his zone. I noted the physical tools early in the year watching Credit River, but seeing him positively impact the game to this extent was a good second evaluation point.