Takeaways from St. Louis Blues prospects' 4-3 additional time win towards Chicago Blackhawks

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. — The St. Louis Blues‘ 4-3 additional time win towards the Chicago Blackhawks within the opening recreation of the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase at Centene Group Ice Middle was stuffed with a variety of highs but in addition some alarming traits that comes with prospects enjoying.

For the Blues, who solely led within the recreation when Simon Robertsson scored off his personal rebound at 2:19 of the 3-on-3 interval, there have been a variety of good outings by gamers seeking to catch the eyes of the administration group watching atop of the walkway above the bleachers in a single nook of the constructing.

Let’s check out some that did:

* Zach Dean — The thirtieth choose inthe 2021 NHL Draft might have been the most effective Blues participant within the recreation.

Dean, who was flanked on a line surrounded by Aleksanteri Kaskimaki (third spherical, 2022) and Zack Bolduc (seventeenth choose, 2021), was immersed within the recreation from the drop of the puck.

Dean, who assisted on targets by Lukas Fischer and Matthew Mayich, confirmed an especially excessive compete degree.

“You have a look at the one objective, we have got Dean and Bolduc in entrance of the web,” Springfield coach and Blues prospect coach Steve Konowalchuk mentioned. “Issues like that, they competed, performed each ends. I assumed as the sport went on, [Dean] obtained extra into it bodily, as I believe our entire group did. A whole lot of nerves early for our group and typical exhibition, particularly the primary interval. I assumed he obtained extra bodily engaged and that objective, it was Bolduc on the hash marks in entrance of the web and we have got Dean busting actual arduous from the nook. I do not suppose they obtained credit score on the scoresheet, however that is an enormous a part of the objective.”

Dean received a free puck behind the web to arrange Fischer’s objective at 4:16 of the second to tie the sport 2-2, then dug puck off the wall within the o-zone nook, getting it free to Kaskimaki, who discovered Mayich on the left level for the tying objective at 3-3 at 16:04 of the second.

“Clearly the primary one, everybody’s making an attempt to make an impression on either side,” Dean mentioned. “Everybody’s going, so we had been simply making an attempt to compete. It is all the time enjoyable getting the primary one on the market.

“You simply try to play your recreation and I believe being up right here final yr (for 9 video games) and getting some ideas from the coaches and stuff like that, the little particulars like which can be actually essential on the subsequent degree. Clearly this summer time and now coming into camp, that was one thing that I used to be desirous about coming into the video games.”

Now if Dean would have simply discovered the again of the web off considered one of three posts he hit and one puck off his skate that simply slid huge …

“Yeah I do not know. It was loopy,” Dean mentioned. “I believe the worst one was the final one. It was a large open web (in additional time), however it’s good. It is enjoyable to get the primary one out of the way in which.”

* Kaskimaki-Dean-Bolduc line — The Kaskimaki-Dean-Bolduc line was efficient many of the recreation producing scoring possibilities, by means of 5-on-5 play or on the facility play, they usually gained loads of further ice time when Tomas Mrsic (fourth spherical, 2024) left the sport early within the second interval with an undisclosed damage.

“Nicely for certain. You may see they’re proficient gamers, the velocity,” Konowalchuk mentioned. “They definitely may add some extra targets, fairly a little bit of 4-on-4, specialty groups they usually had been capable of generate some possibilities, however definitely that line, there’s some good talent and velocity and slipperiness on the market.”

* Michael Buchinger — Buchinger, who opened the scoring for the Blues with a nifty transfer pulling a puck into the excessive slot earlier than beating Drew Commesso at 15:28 of the primary interval, performed on his offside as a lefty paired with Quinton Burns (third spherical, 2023).

“He can skate, he can transfer the puck properly, good compete,” Konowalchuk mentioned. “He is one other good, stable participant and an excellent prospect.”

Buchinger (third spherical, 2022), who spent the previous three seasons with Guelph of the Ontario Hockey League, turns professional this season and is able to make the bounce.

“Yeah, I believe I’ve put in a number of work and I am assured in myself that I will make the bounce to professional now,” Buchinger mentioned. “I’ve dreamt about it my entire life now, so the truth that it is right here now could be very thrilling and I believe I am prepared.”

* Dylan Peterson — Peterson (third spherical, 2020), who assisted on Buchinger’s objective was named one of many leaders for the match carrying an ‘A.’ He definitely displayed his management by instance on the ice with honing in on among the smaller particulars and a few terrific velocity with the puck.

The 6-foot-4, 192-pound ahead discovered himself managing pucks fairly properly and when with out it, positioned himself to get it whether or not by means of being in proper locations on the proper instances or defending the ice properly.

“He shielded the puck, he went to the web properly,” Konowalchuk mentioned. “That objective, that 3-on-2, he made a pleasant play, drove the web arduous, arduous on the 3-on-2 objective. That was an enormous a part of it. He definitely has an enormous physique that may skate and there is positively an excellent prospect there that may be a winger that may go up and down, that may crash and bang, go to the web, dig the puck out for some talent guys, penalty kill. There’s positively some potential there with him as properly.”

* Simon Robertsson — Robertsson (third spherical, 2021) had a comparatively quiet, stable recreation, if that is sensible; not within the sense that it was unhealthy, however he did what was wanted of him every shift with out the flare enjoying alongside Dalibor Dvorsky and Juraj Pekarcik.

However the 6-0, 181-pound ahead’s OT winner was a factor of magnificence, following up his personal shot crashing the web with a second effort that catches everybody’s eye.

“That is a terrific effort,” Konowalchuk mentioned. “Takes a shot and goes diving. That is one thing you need to hold speaking about on a regular basis is that desperation work ethic and I assumed our group as the sport went on obtained an increasing number of determined and an increasing number of compete and saved sticking with it and saved pushing. That was an actual good objective for him and footwear a number of character in our group.”

As for some gamers that obtained blended outcomes:

* Dalibor Dvorsky — The tenth choose within the 2023 NHL Draft comes with loads of flare. The shot is certainly there, and the 6-1, 201-pound heart is certainly not shy about flexing the stick to the puck on it.

Dvorsky centered a line with Pekarcik (third spherical, 2023) and Robertsson and had his moments with the puck on his stick, stick-handling it by means of a cellphone sales space to create alternatives and profitable face-offs with regularity. However he additionally had some turnovers in spots on the ice that can get taken benefit of towards NHL gamers that wasn’t punished on this recreation.

“He was positive. I believe some nerves,” Konowalchuk mentioned. “I believe some nerves early on. I definitely did not dislike him. I do not know that he was on the degree, nor ought to he be essentially the primary recreation as perhaps a Bolduc or Dean, who’ve performed within the NHL already. Dvorsky I believe is placing a number of stress on himself to need to come out right here and it is all slightly little bit of a studying course of. However I definitely wasn’t upset in his recreation.”

* Quinton Burns, Lukas Fischer, Matthew Mayich — Three defensemen that obtained in depth ice time had their moments with the puck within the d-zone. Fischer (second spherical, 2024) and Mayich (sixth spherical, 2023) scored targets, which was good for the Blues, however there have been moments within the d-zone that left slightly to be desired with regard to shifting pucks faster at this degree.

And Burns had a careless minor within the recreation’s opening minute that led to a Blackhawks energy play objective.

* Vadim Zherenko — Zherenko (seventh spherical, 2019) obtained higher as the sport went alongside and made some key saves, together with a breakaway cease on Frank Nazar with simply over two minutes remaining in a 3-3 recreation, however the netminder was sluggish to cowl publish to publish on the opening Chicago objective getting beat quick aspect, and exposing his angle on the Blackhawks’ second objective by AJ Spellacy at 16:57 of the opening interval.

Zherenko made 26 saves within the recreation and was definitely higher within the latter phases of the sport.

* Juraj Pekarcik — Pekarcik wasn’t a lot of an element within the recreation; in reality, the 2023 third-round choose struggled to get any footing in it.

The 6-0, 194-pound ahead was knocked off pucks simply, could not possess it typically sufficient and was uncovered for lack of protection on Chicago’s shorthanded objective by Landon Slaggert at 7:50 of the second interval.