The Rockford IceHogs continued their quest for the Calder Cup on Wednesday and Chicago Blackhawks fans kept a close eye on what was happening in goal. Despite having a 2-0 series lead over the Milwaukee Admirals, the IceHogs allowed three goals in the opening period of the 6-2 loss. This was the first game that Rockford dropped in the playoffs so far this season, as they swept the Chicago Wolves in the opening round.
A few younger players on the NHL roster this past season are getting in on the action for the IceHogs this post season, and it has been a huge boost to their success. Colton Dach made his return at the beginning of this series with Milwaukee and scored the overtime winner in game one.
There could certainly be some reason for concerned base on how the team played as a whole last night. They got beat from the jump and never gave themselves a chance to find their footing at the end of the day. Regardless of the outcome, fans should have no reason to worry about the result of this contest.
Chicago Blackhawks fans don’t need to worry about Drew Commesso
Drew Commesso has been lights out for the IceHogs this season. The 2020 second-round draft choice of the Chicago Blackhawks has come into his own this year, as he posted a .911 save percentage and a 2.54 GAA mark in the regular season. Commesso was pulled from the game on Wednesday after Rockford went down 5-1, but interim head coach Mark Eaton assured the media after the game that this wasn’t as big of a deal as some might have made it out to be.
“No need to really narrate why the decision was made, it could be a lot of factors, one to motivate the guys,” Eaton said. “Drew’s played phenomenal hockey for us in these past couple of months, this just allows him to take a breath, reset and get ready for Friday.”
Keeping Commesso’s confidence at a high level is crucial, and Eaton making the decision to take him out of the game on Wednesday was important for that factor. The 22-year-old will still lead the charge on Friday night in game four of the series in what has been his best season as a pro so far. Commesso even made his NHL debut in December and his first start as well with the Blackhawks.
Drew Commesso and Spencer Knight could form a great duo
Knight was fantastic for Chicago after he was acquired in the Seth Jones trade with the Florida Panthers back in March. Some might have thought that bringing in a guy of Knight’s caliber would throw off Commesso’s mindset for the future. Instead, it only reassured Commesso that the Blackhawks could be building something speical.
“Honestly, I don’t adjust my mentality at all,” Commesso said last month. “It was something that was completely out of my control and I think I found out about it 15 minutes before my first game back from injury in the locker room. For me, I’ve just had a great mindset of just being present and controlling what I can.”
The idea of Commesso and Knight being a tandem for years to come should excite fans. With the exception of a couple of netminders across the league, most teams have a strong one-two punch in the cage if they want to contend. The pair could be just that for Chicago moving forward.
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