Boy, can Eric Robinson fly or what?
The Princeton man showed off his instinct and wheels in the third period last night against the Detroit Red Wings, scoring what would end up being the game-winning goal on a breakaway.
That goal last night was Robinson's third in four games with the Blue Jackets this year. After not scoring in his first 14 games with the club (split between 2017-18 and 2018-19), he's found his scoring touch a critical time for the Blue Jackets.
His goal last night is a perfect example of what the Blue Jackets front office saw when they signed him as an undrafted free agent near the end of the 2017-18 season.
.@e_robinson19 turns on the afterburners! pic.twitter.com/1oLdKIyiHe
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) November 22, 2019
As soon as the faceoff occurs, Robinson understands the play that's developing and heads to the perfect place to receive the puck. And then, just like that, whoosh. He's gone. Despite hooks and slashes from Red Wings defenseman Joe Hicketts, Robinson was able to control the puck and deke goaltender Jimmy Howard, burying the puck in the back of the net.
His other two goals this season came against no other than Montreal Canadians' goaltender Carey Price.
As Robinson's play has improved, John Tortorella's confidence in him has as well. Last night against the Red Wings, veteran forward Riley Nash was scratched, and Robinson remained in the lineup.
Veterans on the Blue Jackets' roster have struggled to find the back of the net (see: Cam Atkinson, who notched a PPG last night for his fourth goal of the campaign), but the rookies have been picking up the slack as of late.
Alexandre Texier scored the first goal for the Blue Jackets last night. Emil Bemstrom had a five-game point streak which was unfortunately snapped against Detroit.
As the Blue Jackets continue to seek offensive consistency, the rookies look more than capable of picking up the slack. If the veterans and rookies are able to get going at the same time, it may flip the script on this season.
