The Blackhawks had a 2-1 lead in the third period and still walked out of Grand Casino Arena with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild. For a roster packed with inexperience, the game had plenty of rough edges early, but Chicago also showed enough growth over the night to make the collapse sting all the more.
That youth was hard to miss from the jump. Gavin Hayes, AJ Spellacy, Martin Misiak and several others had never played NHL minutes, and beyond Dominic Toninato, the forwards combined for just 175 games.
The inexperience showed up in the usual places: missed passes, shots sailing wide, and skates losing an edge at the wrong moment. Even so, the group settled in as the game went along.
Spellacy stood out right away. He looked like he was everywhere, throwing his body around and covering all 200 feet of the ice from his first shift.
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.
Kevin Korchinski had his own up-and-down start before turning into one of Chicago’s most interesting players on the night. Early on, a long pass went over him and Derrick Pouliot, and Rieger Lorenz finished the play for Minnesota.
Korchinski didn’t stay down long. A few minutes later, he helped Chicago answer after Gavin Hayes recovered the puck in the neutral zone and found Korchinski cutting down the weak side.
Korchinski ripped the shot on net while in stride, and Dominic Toninato got a piece of it before it crossed the line to tie the game.
That goal fit a larger theme for Korchinski. Last season, one of the big storylines was how little he was used down the stretch, when injuries to Artyom Levshunov and Matt Grzelcyk left him in sheltered minutes.
At around 13 minutes a night, he still showed he could handle himself. This time, the Blackhawks gave him more responsibility, and he answered with more than 25 minutes of ice time and a noticeably stronger performance.
He looked more comfortable, more assertive, and more in control. His passing was sharper, the game seemed to slow down for him, and he helped create chances coming out of the defensive zone. It will be interesting to see how the Saskatoon native is used moving forward.
Chicago later found a 2-1 lead in the third period, with Dillon Boucher scoring the goal that set up overtime. For a lineup leaning heavily on Rockford players, that stretch showed plenty of fight. But Minnesota pushed back, tied it late enough to force the extra frame, and then finished the job for the 3-2 win.
Preseason or not, a third-period lead that slips away still hurts. The Blackhawks and Wild will meet again on Monday at the United Center, and Chicago will be looking for a much cleaner finish.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Just Started A Camp Trim That Says Plenty About Their Prospects
After a busy Rookie Camp and Prospect Showcase, the Blackhawks have already begun trimming the edges of their training camp roster. Ryan Roobroeck, Parker Holmes, and Ty Henry all got a look in the teams recent prospect events before being sent back to their Ontario Hockey League clubs for the 2026-27 season, a reminder of where each young player stands in his development and how quickly the path narrows once camp turns serious.
Chicagos camp group is now down to 47 players, and theres likely more movement ahead as the preseason schedule continues to tighten the competition. Another round of cuts could come after Mondays preseason game against Minnesota, which should give the Blackhawks another chance to separate the hopefuls from the players who are starting to look ready for the next step. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Defense Battle Is Putting Real Pressure On Ethan Del Mastro
Training camp has turned the Blackhawks blue line into one of the more interesting battles on the roster, and Ethan Del Mastro is right in the middle of it. Chicago has eight defensemen who can make an NHL case for themselves, but only six openings in the lineup, which makes every preseason shift matter a little more than usual. Del Mastro helped himself in the first preseason game, and the organization has already shown faith in him by extending his contract, so this is no longer just about making an impression. It is about forcing his way into a real role.
For Del Mastro, the path forward is tied to the details that can separate an NHL regular from a depth option. He has been working on his skating and defensive mobility to make himself harder to play against, and those improvements could be what keeps him in the conversation as camp tightens. The Blackhawks like the potential enough to keep testing him, but with the numbers game already crowding the defense, every practice and exhibition game is adding pressure to prove he belongs. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Cut Leaves Veteran Defenseman In Roster Limbo
The Blackhawks latest training camp cuts have pushed Derrick Pouliot into roster limbo, with the veteran defenseman now waiting to see where he lands after being moved out of the NHL picture. Pouliots arrival in the organization gave Chicago another experienced blue-line option, and his game has still shown enough offensive touch to matter, even as his scoring rate has trended downward in recent seasons.
For now, the next stop appears to be Rockford, where Pouliot is expected to play a major defensive role for the IceHogs in the 2026-27 season. It is a familiar kind of pivot for a player at this stage of his career, one who can still help an organization depth-wise even as the path back to Chicago becomes less certain. [Read more 🡒]