1. Zack Smith had a noticeably strong game.
Smith was acquired in the offseason for Artem Anisimov to stabilize the fourth line with a veteran, defensive-minded presence, improve the penalty kill, be reliable with the puck in all three zones and finish checks. In Friday’s victory, Smith had his best game with Chicago. He played a 1:15 minutes on the penalty kill where he generated his own high danger scoring chance, while not allowing any scoring chances for the Blue Jackets.