Blackhawks Blow Third-Period Lead to Minnesota Wild

Anthony “AJ” Spellacy

If you have been following my work here at On Tap or over on X (in which case, thank you), my appreciation for Spellacy is hard to miss. And tonight he backed up the rhetoric.

Spellacy flew around the ice like a man possessed from his first shift, constantly throwing his body around and covering all 200 feet of the ice.

AJ will likely get the start with Rockford. Do not be shocked when, come March, we see number 79 suiting up for a game in the United Center.

Kevin Korchinski: A New Man

The contest didn’t start great for Kevin Korchinski. Early on, a long bomb pass sailed over him and Derrick Pouliot, leading to a Rieger Lorenz goal. The struggles didn’t last long for Korchinski, though.

Just minutes later, Kevin helped get the Chicago Blackhawks on the board. After recovering the puck in the neutral zone, Gavin Hayes found Korchinski cutting down the weak side. While in stride, Korchinski rifled the puck on net. Dominic Toninato got a piece of it before the puck passed over the goal line as Chicago evened the score.

The Trust Is Developing

One of the storylines down the stretch last year was the Blackhawks’ lack of use of Korchinski. Kevin played extremely sheltered minutes after the injuries of Artyom Levshunov and Matt Grzelcyk. At just 13 minutes of ice time a night, Korchinski proved that he could be a reliable player for the Blackhawks. And tonight Blashill and Co. repaid the trust. With over 25 minutes of ice time, Korchinski impressed.

The 22-year-old showed increased confidence in his play. The game looked slower for Korchinski as he hit his passes and created ample chances from breakouts. It will be interesting to see how the Saskatoon native gets utilized for the Chicago Blackhawks.

A Lead That Did Not Hold

Chicago found a way to grab a 2-1 lead in the third, with Dillon Boucher’s goal eventually becoming the marker that forced overtime. For a mostly IceHogs-heavy group, that stretch showed real fight.

Minnesota still answered. The Wild tied it late enough to push the opener past regulation, then finished the job in overtime for a 3-2 win at Grand Casino Arena. Preseason or not, blowing a third-period lead stings, and Chicago will want a cleaner close when these clubs meet again on Monday at the United Center.