3 major takeaways from Chicago Blackhawks' 2-0 loss in preseason game vs Red Wings

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified Sep 28, 2024 02:28 GMT

The Chicago Blackhawks dropped a frustrating 2-0 game against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

Christian Fischer and Vladimir Tarasenko had the goals for Detroit. Tarasenko’s marker came on the powerplay at 12:32 of the second period. Meanwhile, Alex Lyon and Cam Talbot combined to stop 22 shots for the shutout.

3 major takeaways from Chicago Blackhawks' preseason loss vs Red Wings

#3. The Red Wings outperformed the Blackhawks

The Blackhawks were outplayed most of the night. They were unable to get much traction going, especially in the early period. Towards the end, the Red Wings outshot the Chicago Blackhawks 31-22 while winning 63% of the draws.

Also, the Blackhawks had trouble staying out of the box. In particular, Isaak Phillips got hit with a double-minor for high-sticking in the second period. The Red Wings converted on the opportunity, putting the game 2-0 at that point.

Overall, the Blackhawks struggled to get any sort of momentum going. While the Chicago Blackhawks managed to generate some scoring opportunities, the game was ultimately titled in Detroit’s favor.

#2. The Penalty kill did well enough

The Blackhawks’ power play did well enough, killing off most of the Phillips double-minor. However, the Wings managed to score at the tail end of it.

Beyond that situation, the Chicago Blackhawks stopped three of four penalties. While that total was not spectacular, it was good enough to keep the team in the game. Moving forward, the Blackhawks will need to focus on getting their penalty killing in order.

#1. Frank Nazar stood out

The Blackhawks largely iced a team consisting of prospects and other non-roster players. The bulk of their regulars were not in the lineup.

However, one player that stood out was prospect Frank Nazar. The Blackhawks’ first overall pick from 2022 (13th overall) had a great game. He generated plenty of opportunities on the ice, leading the team with five shots on goal.

Unfortunately, he was unable to convert on any of those shots. However, there is plenty of reason for optimism, as Nazar could be looking at making the team this season.

Nazar played nearly 20 minutes on a team-high 20 shifts. If Nazar doesn’t make the team, he could be high up on the list to get a call-up in case of injury.