Morning Chirps: Craig Smith makes big first impression in Blackhawks loss to Red Wings

After a week of scrimmages and drills, the Chicago Blackhawks finally got to play against and hit somebody besides themselves. The Detroit Red Wings came calling on Wednesday for the first of two preseason meetings, with the rematch in the Motor City on Friday night. Detroit struck first with a 4-2 victory to start the exhibition schedule.

The Red Wings were rude house guests as former Blackhawk Tyler Motte scored just 1:10 into the game. Craig Smith and Teuvo Teravainen scored about two minutes apart to give the home team a 2-1 lead midway through the second period. However, Detroit defenseman Jeff Petry tied the game late in the middle frame by blasting a slap shot through heavy traffic.

Turbo time is back 🥹 pic.twitter.com/J1L2iNrWm0

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 26, 2024

The recently extended Lucas Raymond gave the Red Wings a 3-2 lead early in the third period by blistering a wrist shot past Mitchell Weeks, who never saw a shot like that in the ECHL last season. Another former Blackhawk, defenseman Olli Maatta, added an insurance goal late in the third period.

Craig Smith Shines in Blackhawks Debut

The Blackhawks signed Smith to give them some grit and more veteran presence on the bottom six. He was also brought in to provide the roster with far more depth to help guard against the roster issues they had last season with a rash of injuries. Many felt that Smith could come in and out of the lineup to rotate other veterans or give playing time to one of the up-and-coming youngsters. However, the 13-year NHL warrior told the coaching staff, “Scratch me if you dare” with his play on Wednesday.

Smith had the first two shots for the Blackhawks, both of which generated decent scoring chances. He scored the first Chicago goal of the preseason when he followed his own rebound off the crossbar and roofed a backhand shot over Ville Husso.

Craig Smith scores Chicago’s first goal of the preseason. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/5rVBEcdrEJ

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) September 26, 2024

Unfortunately, Smith’s early third-period hooking penalty led to the Raymond go-ahead goal. His final stat line included a goal, five shots on goal, six shot attempts, a takeaway, and two blocked shots.

A.J. Spellacy Continues to Impress

Not many people knew who A.J. Spellacy was when the Blackhawks drafted him in the third round of last June’s NHL Entry Draft. After an impressive prospect showcase and the start of training camp, fans know who he is now.

“He’s a big strong guy,” head coach Luke Richardson said of the youngster. “He skates well and is good at center. We’re looking for him to use his skating ability in the middle. He picks up things quickly. From the first day to today is night and day already. He hasn’t played hockey at the highest level for as many years compared to some of these other guys. But he’s intelligent and knows how to ingest and implement it right away, which is a great sign.”

Looking good in drills and against fellow prospects is one thing. Bringing that same energy to an NHL game in another. Spellacy introduced himself to Red Wings star Lucas Raymond with a hard, high hit late in the first period. Moments later, Detroit captain Dylan Larkin threw an elbow at him and landed in the penalty box.

AJ Spellacy (79) flying around for the Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/MWV0bpi1ui

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) September 26, 2024

Spellacy finished his night with a shot on goal on two attempts, two hits, a blocked shot, and went 7-for-14 at the dot in just over 12 minutes of ice time. He even got some time on the penalty kill during the third period.

“It was awesome,” Smith said of his linemate’s play. “I was excited to play with him tonight. He’s got great legs and some good instincts. He’s got a great shot. It was fun.”

While Spellacy isn’t going to play in the NHL this season, he is an intriguing prospect to keep an eye on. He is still very raw, but if his skills can be refined, the Blackhawks may have gotten themselves a mid-draft steal.

Frank Nazar Has a Rough Start

If Frank Nazar is going to make the opening roster, he will need to be one of the best six forwards in training camp. He will not play in the bottom six in Chicago over being the top-line center in Rockford, so it’s top six or bust.

The 2022 first-round pick struggled in this first preseason outing. His play seemed rushed, and he looked like he was panicking under pressure. He forced a lot of passes that never had a chance and was a turnover machine early on. The frustration continued in the second period when he was called for a high-sticking penalty shortly after the Blackhawks took a 2-1 lead.

Related Article: Do Frank Nazar, Lukas Reichel fit on opening roster?

Nazar’s rough night was compounded by Nick Lardis’s struggling, too. This made the second line with Taylor Hall somewhere between ineffective and a liability. In 7:52 of 5v5 ice time, the trio was outshot 8-1 and had just four shot attempts to Detroit’s 10.

It wasn’t all bad for Nazar. He did make a nice play on the penalty kill, setting up Joey Anderson for a prime scoring chance late in the third, but he missed the net.

“Frank had a better third period than his first two,” Richardson said after the game. “His penalty killing was excellent in the third period, especially his up-ice pressure. You like to see young guys take information, put it in their game, and execute. It was a strong finish for him. I think he needs to have his legs going the whole game.

“Last year, when he came in, he had a great year and was on a high. He was just playing. Now, we’re starting from scratch, and it’s hard to get everything settled and going. There’s a lot going through the young guys’ minds. That’s why you see them scramble in the exhibition games.”

Nazar finished his night as a minus-2, with just one shot attempt and four giveaways. This game did not seal his fate and send him down to Rockford. He will get plenty of opportunity to play his way out of his slow start before the final cuts are made. Starting the season in the AHL is likely, but he will probably get at least three of the remaining five preseason games to make his case to stay with the big club.

Photo courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks