It gives commentators and columnists reason to pause in search of more appropriate words. And it has led me to land at the feet of a highly unlikely and unexpected comparison: Jack Eichel and Le'veon Bell.
Throughout this past NFL season, the Steelers marquee running back gained more and more attention for his unique hesitation at the line of scrimmage, wading into traffic, but without the reckless abandon or sheer power moves that we are accustomed to seeing from players at that position.
It was a wading - and waiting game - for Bell that often saw defenders go right past him, thus opening up holes that wouldn't have been there otherwise.
And for a while now, this is just one aspect of Eichel's game that has been so impressive to watch.
It doesn't always happen in the same area of the ice either. Sometimes he'll be coming out of his own zone on the power play, slowing down in the neutral zone enough to draw defenders in, until he decides to either kick it into a higher gear, or find teammates who are then even more wide open.
Other times it's on the half wall, or even just inside the offensive zone. Always inviting chaos. Rarely succumbing to it. There is so much patience in his game!
It wasn't an exact example of what I'm talking about here, but even Tuesday night versus Philly, the 2-2 goal demonstrates again how he can back opponents off with seemingly little more than a well thought- out pause.
