Adam Fantilli did all the little things right in the Blue Jackets' season opener

The first game of the season is now under the belt of the Blue Jackets. It wasn't perfect, and it got sloppy at times, but a win is a win at the end of the day, and there were some standout performances that made it happen.

After a long, drawn-out contract negotiation over the summer, it was great to see Adam Fantilli get off to a hot start. Yes, he scored a goal, but I was more impressed by how well he played in just about every aspect of his game.

Adam Fantilli played up to his contract against Buffalo

Even though it isn't going to wind up on any highlight reels, getting the first goal of the year in the first game is always a huge relief for hockey players, and I'm sure it's no different for Adam Fantilli this season.

There's a lot to like on this play, and it has almost nothing to do with skill. Fantilli smartly gets the puck to his big, strong winger in Matthew Knies, and then drifts into the shooting lane to take away the eyes of the goalie before letting the shot by Werenski glance off of him and into the back of the net.

The play all started with a smart faceoff win with great execution, which summarizes his night pretty well. He finished the game 16/20 (80%) on the faceoff dot after winning all 11 draws in the first two periods.

He also showed a lot of physicality and willingness to engage in a heavy forecheck, racking up six hits. We had seen some of that over the past two seasons, but to make that a priority right out of the gate is a great sign.

The analytics back up his strong performance as well, as he led the team in Corsi (meaning the Blue Jackets had the highest share of shot attempts with Fantilli on the ice) and didn't allow the Sabres to create any high-danger chances while he was playing, according to MoneyPuck.

There's no doubt that he will face much more pressure this season because of that big contract, but after the first game, he's proving that he's willing to earn it while showing his potential to be the Blue Jackets' franchise 1C.

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