Blackhawks Prospects Lose 4-3 in OT: Highlights, Who Stood Out, More

The Blackhawks’ prospects played a game that required overtime in St. Louis against the Blues’ prospects on Friday night. Both sides scored three times in regulation. St. Louis escaped with a 4-3 win in overtime on a Simon Robertsson goal that got thru Drew Commesso; to his credit, Robertsson🔯 followedไ his own shot and finished the rebound deposit himself.

Every year it seems like we ꦺtalk about the improved speed and skill, but this was a good 🥃step forward with a lot of guys likely headed to Rockford. Chicago had plenty of opportunities in regulation, and their speed was abundant throughout the contest. Unfortunately the wrong side came out with the win.

Blackhawks Prospect Highlights

The Blackhawks got a power play 30 seconds into the game when Frank Nazar was tripped. He took advantage, setting up Nick Lardis for the game’s first goal.

Nick Lardis scores on a one timer and the 🔜 score first

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus)

Samuel Savoie went to the box a few minutes later but thꦿe Blackhawks successfully killed the penalty. Commesso was🔜 tested a couple times on the PK but did his job.

After the Blues tied the game at one, AJ Spellacy scored a pretty wrister t♔o give the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead. He was playin💛g a physical game and his speed was evident all over the ice.

AJ Spellacy ဣflies down the ice and scores his first unofficial goal with Chღicago.

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis)

The Blackhawks took a 2-1 lead to the room at the end of 20 minutes. The guys who stood out in the first: Nazar, Lardis, Spellacy, Ethan Del Mastro and Nolan Allan all looked really good.

The Blues tied the game at two at 4:16 into the second period. Sixth-round pick Ty Henry got tied up be𒀰hind the net and the Blu🌳es were able to take advantage.

While the Blackhawks were killing a penalty in the second period, Paul Ludwinski made a strong play on the forecheck and found Landon Slaggert, who buried the short-handed goal ꧃to give Chica༒go a 3-2 lead.

Paul Ludwinski f🍒inds Landon Slaggert, who scores a shorthanded goal for💖 Chicago.

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis)

Colton Dach came into camp this year with a mission to show he can be a physical presence. As the game started to b꧟e 🃏increasingly chippy, he dropped the gloves with Michael Buchinger. Not much of a fight but Dach had a couple solid takedowns.

Colton Dach (#28) gets in ☂a fight with Michael Buchingeꦑr and takes him down

— Chicago Prospects (@Chi_Prospects)

Zach Dean tied the game at three in the late stag🍸es of the second period. All three goals for the Blues came from the 🌸point; Dean got a tip on a shot from the defenseman.

The tea♔ms went to the room after 40 minutes tied at three.

Nazar got a breakaway during 4-on-4 action inside the final three minutes of regulation but was denied. Ryder Rolston also got a nice look inside the final 90 seconds, but this game needed o𒁏vertime.🌟

An absolutely exhausted Del Mastro, who chased down and broke up a potential 2-on-1 on the other end, got a breakaway 90 seconds into overtime but couldn’t finish. One minute later the game ended.

The Good

Spellacy had no problem hitting anyone in blue and almost dropped the gloves in the first period. Remember: he said he models his game after Capitals power forward Tom Wilson. He showed off his speed on his first period goal as well. During the second intermission, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson noted how impressed he was was with Spellacy’s first two periods.

Dach also played a strong, physical game. The Blackhawks’ top line of Dach, Nazar and Slaggert looked like three veteran players in a game full of prospects.

I mentioned Savoie in this morning’s bullets. He missed most of last year because of an awful injury suffered during the preseason. IceHogs head coach Anders Sorensen, who wasn’t with the Blackhawks tonight because of a family issue, said he liked what he’d seen from Savoie over the past couple days. His wheels were there tonight, especially on the PK.

The Not-So-Good

Late in the third period with the Blackhawks on the power play, Spellacy hit a guy from behind and was called for charging. He had a really good night but that was a moment he would undoubtedly like to have back.

Martin Misiak did not have his best night. He got beat for pucks a few times and needs to keep moving his feet; there were times he was watching the play and others where he got shoved off the puck.

The Blackhawks allowed Blues skaters to create way too much traffic in front of Commesso, who didn’t even see the third goal until it was behind him in the net. For a team that traveled a heavy blue line, that isn’t ideal.