In a battle of 2021 first-round picks, Kent Johnson and Corson Ceulemans squared off over the weekend.
Johnson's #2 Michigan Wolverines (6-2) faced Ceulemans' Wisconsin Badgers (3-5) on Thursday and Friday night. Michigan won 3-0 on Thursday, but the Badgers salvaged a split on Friday night with a 4-2 victory.
Ceulemans had a quiet weekend, registering four shots on goal and a block over two games. Johnson, however, excelled. The fifth overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft tallied two goals and an assist.
In Thursday's game, Johnson opened the scoring with a one-timer, finishing a pass from fellow first-round draft pick Owen Power. Then, he found Nick Blankenburg with a beautiful pass, and Blankenburg made it 2-0.
Backhand. Backdoor. Blankenburg . pic.twitter.com/lKhWsKVoq7
— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) October 29, 2021
On Friday night, Johnson scored a highlight-reel goal to pull Michigan within one goal in the third period. He received a pass in front of the net and went in-between his legs to beat Wisconsin netminder Cameron Rowe.
Pure sorcery from Kent Johnson pic.twitter.com/aCYjuQ4pwo
— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) October 30, 2021
Through eight games, Johnson has 4-6-10, which is good for second on the Michigan team. He's likely to begin his professional career next year, but for now, he'll have to settle for lighting up the NCAA.
