Three Stars: Schmaltz, Saad Shine in Blackhawks' Win
By James Neveau •
If the preseason is any indication, then the Chicago Blackhawks’ offense is going to be just fine, as they steamrolled the Detroit Red Wings 6-1 on Thursday night.
The Blackhawks lit up the scoreboard in the second period, racking up four goals and showcasing the additional speed and grit that they’re hoping new acquisitions to their lineup will add this season.
If you missed the game and need a bite-sized snapshot of what took place, here are your Three Stars of the Game.
Third Star: Nick Schmaltz
Tongues will certainly be wagging about Alex DeBrincat scoring his first preseason goal in his first game, but the reality is that this play was made by Schmaltz as he skated into the offensive zone:
On the play, Schmaltz drove hard to the middle of the ice, drawing Detroit defenders in with him. That cleared an open path for DeBrincat, who converted a tremendous pass from Richard Panik into a superb goal to make it a 3-0 game.
That kind of assertiveness is exactly what the Blackhawks need from Schmaltz, and he formed a great combination with DeBrincat even without Patrick Kane on the ice.
Second Star: Corey Crawford
While the Blackhawks have scored 11 goals in their first two games, they’ve also given up a boatload of shots, and Crawford had to be in midseason form as he got his first action of the preseason.
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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 10: Corey Crawford #50 of the Chicago Blackhawks makes a save against the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center on January 10, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks defeated the Red Wings 4-3 in overtime.(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 21: Patrick Sharp #10 of the Chicago Blackhawks participates in warm-upsnbefore a preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center on September 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 21: Alex DeBrincat #12 of the Chicago Blackhawks participates in warm-ups before a preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center on September 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 21: Brandon Saad #20 of the Chicago Blackhawks passes in front of Evgeny Svechnikov #77 of the Detroit Red Wings during a preseason game at the United Center on September 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 21: Brandon Saad #20 and Brent Seabrook #7 of the Chicago Blackhawksnskate against the Detroit Red Wings during a preseason game at the United Center on September 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 21: Jordan Oesterle #82 of the Chicago Blackhawks looks to pass against the Detroit Red Wings during a preseason game at the United Center on September 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 21: Alex DeBrincat #12 of the Chicago Blackhawks is congratulated by Nick Schmaltz #8 after scoring a second period goal against the Detroit Red Wings during a preseason game at the United Center on September 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 21: Nick Schmaltz #8 of the Chicago Blackhawks shoots past Nick Jensen #3 of the Detroit Red Wings during a preseason game at the United Center on September 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 21: Brent Seabrook #7 of the Chicago Blackhawks (L) is congratulated by Connor Murphy #5 after scoring a second period goal against the Detroit Red Wings during a preseason game at the United Center on September 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 21: Collin Delia #60 of the Chicago Blackhawks makes a save off of his pad against the Detroit Red Wings during a preseason game at the United Center on September 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks defeated the Red Wings 6-1. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 21: Connor Murphy #5 of the Chicago Blackhawks pressures Matt Lorito #22 of the Detroit Red Wings during a preseason game at the United Center on September 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks defeated the Red Wings 6-1. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 21: Patrick Sharp #10 of the Chicago Blackhawks looks to pass under pressure from Libor Sulak #47 of the Detroit Red Wings during a preseason game at the United Center on September 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks defeated the Red Wings 6-1. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The netminder ended up making 30 total saves in just two periods of work, including 16 in a fast-paced second period. The netminder was a big part of the reason that the Blackhawks’ penalty kill went a perfect 7-for-7 in the game, and he looked sharp and focused in his first game action since the Western Conference playoff sweep at the hands of the Nashville Predators.
First Star: Brandon Saad
Blackhawks fans are thrilled to have Saad back in the mix, but even the most optimistic supporter couldn’t have imagined just how good he would be in his first game back with the team.
Saad ended up netting a preseason hat trick as he scored three goals against the Red Wings, including this tap-in goal that finished off the three-peat:
What was truly noteworthy about Saad’s hat trick was that none of the goals were of the spectacular, jaw-dropping variety. They were the kinds of goals that the Blackhawks simply didn’t score last season, with Saad collecting rebounds near the front of the net and pounding away at loose pucks to tally three goals.
If Saad can be that kind of impact player for the Blackhawks, then their offense will take on a whole new dimension that they were lacking last season.
