THREE THINGS: Development Camp scrimmage
A recap of the things you need to know from the Blackhawks 2018 Development Camp scrimmage at MB Ice Arena
by Chris Wescott / chicagoblackhawks.com
Following a week of on and off-ice workouts, the Blackhawks prospects took part in a scrimmage at MB Ice Arena on Friday morning. Team Red downed Team White 3-2 in a shootout.
Here's a quick breakdown of the big moments and things you need to know.
Video: Development Camp scrimmage recap
The first period ended scoreless with Team Red getting the majority of chances due to Team White's penalty troubles. 2018 sixth-round pick Alexis Gravel looked calm between the pipes when his squad was shorthanded.
In the second, 2018 eighth-overall pick Adam Boqvist found Fredrik Olofsson on the doorstep for the 1-0 lead.
Team Red responded less than a minute later with a goal from Ryan Kuffner. The White squad regained the lead just 1:30 after that tally as Josiah Slavin made it 2-1.
In the third, Team Read tied the game at 2-2 with Liam Coughlin setting up Kyle Maksimovich in front for the equalizer.
Following the overtime period, MacKenzie Entwistle and Kuffner were the lone scorers in the shootout, resulting in the 3-2 victory for Red.
Here are three things that stood out.
1. BOQVIST'S PERFORMANCE
Scoring was hard to come by in the first period, but the middle frame was played 4-on-4, meaning more open ice and more space to work with. For players like Boqvist, this means passing lanes open up as well.
Boqvist's pass to Olofsson at 7:30 of the second was a beauty.
The top pick of the Blackhawks in June's NHL Draft is touted as a dynamic offensive presence from the blueline, so it was nice to see him get on the board.
It also seemed like he found a rhythm later in the game. With less than four minutes left in the third, Boqvist had an active shift in the offensive zone. First, he had a chance from the circle and then he worked the puck near the blueline before eventually hammering a slap shot on net.
In overtime, Boqvist was sharp on the power play, moving the puck well for White.
2. BEAUDIN SAVES IT
While Boqvist showed off some skill and puck movement in this scrimmage, his fellow 2018 first-round pick flashed solid defensive play.
Nicolas Beaudin effectively saved the game for Red late in the third. With the score tied 2-2, White had an odd-man rush that could be called at the very least a 2-on-1 but with more help trailing.
Beaudin made a sprawling, game-saving breakup on that rush, which deserves a lot of credit because the game would have been pretty much over with less than 30 seconds remaining.
3. QUITE THE SHIFT
A bit of a surprise from the scrimmage might have been Liam Coughlin, who seemed to be zipping around the ice for most of the game.
One of the best shifts from any player came when Coughlin originally set up Beaudin for a great look at the net and a wide open shooting lane. The defenseman fired the puck, but it was stopped by the goalie and sat near the net. Coughlin buzzed around, picking the puck up and then, wrapping around the goal, he found Kuffner in front for the original equalizer, which made it a 1-1 game.
Coughlin was originally a fifth-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2014 and has played the last three seasons at the University of Vermont. He is unsigned.
Similarly, Slavin deserves recognition for standing out. The 2018 seventh-round pick scored a goal for White and was around the puck a lot late in the game when his squad had some of their best chances.