Chicago Blackhawks
Team Leader
Blackhawks 4, Blues 2 — Preseason Takeaways
Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blackhawks/2025/09/27/blackhawks-4-blues-2-preseason-takeaways/
Spencer Knight got the start between the pipes for the Blackhawks in St. Louis on Saturday evening. The Blackhawks fielded more NHL players for the second game of their preseason than they did in the first in Detroit on Tuesday night. The Blues also had a nice list of NHL players on the ice.
The Blackhawks looked tired in their first preseason game in Detroit. They also looked young and, at times, like they were thinking too much. With more NHL players in this lineup, the hope was to see better play. At the end of the day, it was the young Blackhawks who made the big impacts in the third period.
First Period: 1-0 St. Louis
- Oliver Moore absolutely exploded up the ice on his first shift, flying past a defender to get to a loose puck and getting a shot on net. That speed will play on any line the Blackhawks put out there.
- The Blackhawks were out-shot 14-5 in the first period (19-9 in shot attempts). Breakouts were still a hot mess. Whatever they’re working on needs more practice at full speed. I’ll hit a hard pause button here and remind all of us that this was the fourth period of the preseason and the first for a lot of the guys on the ice tonight. And a lot of the more offensive guys on the roster weren’t dressed tonight. But they need to find some flow to generate offense at some point.
- Ethan Del Mastro skated a team-high 8:15 in the first period — 94 seconds more than the second-highest total on the Blackhawks (6:41 for Kevin Korchinski and Connor Murphy). He was tied for the team lead with Colton Dach with two hits. I thought he had a strong period.
- Roughly six minutes into the first period it appeared Dalibor Dvorsky rifled a shot between the legs of Louis Crevier that beat Knight for the game’s first goal. Knight would probably want that one back.
- Lukas Reichel skated 5:37 (seven shifts) in the first period. I didn’t hear his name called or see him on the ice. He got the start in the top six again tonight.
- Nick Lardis wasn’t noticeable in the first period of his first preseason game.
- Ryan Greene won 7 of 9 faceoffs in the first.
Second Period: 2-0 St. Louis
- Everybody lost Brayden Schenn only 52 seconds into the second period and the Blues doubled their lead. A nice pass from Jake Neighbours set up him but he was all alone. Somebody has to either communicate or check a forward like Schenn who’s skating all by himself there. Knight had no chance.
- Gavin Hayes had a a really good second period. He got to the blue paint and mixed it up with a few Blues on one shift and then stood up Cam Fowler in the neutral zone and forced a turnover a couple minutes later. He’s going to need to be a grinder in a bottom-six role at the next level and those were a couple good moments from him.
- Knight didn’t have much of a chance on the second goal of the game, but he made some really impressive saves later in the period to keep the lead at two.
Spencer Knight's been pretty good early — though the team in front of him has been struggling. He stretches for a nice save here: pic.twitter.com/SmdGmRLlkg
— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) September 28, 2025
- Korchinski made a few nice, long outlets passes in the second period. He also skated fairly well with the puck. At least he appeared to be more comfortable with what the coaches were asking of him tonight. He did a nice job on the second powerplay in the period.
- The Blues almost scored a third goal about 11 minutes into the second period because a trailing forward was left all alone again. That’s going to have to be something they address between now and Oct. 7 because it’s been a problem in both preseason games.
- Dach dropped the gloves with Logan Mailloux. Decent scrap.
Colton Dach drops the gloves with Logan Mailloux pic.twitter.com/6VMz2cTBLo
— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) September 28, 2025
- I liked Del Mastro’s game again in the second period. He carried the puck into the offensive zone a couple times, he stayed physical and continued to move the puck well. He had a big blocked shot early on the Blackhawks’ first penalty kill. Was he perfect? No. But he was solid and once again skating big minutes (14:38 thru two periods to lead Blackhawks defensemen). Del Mastro was credited with two blocked shots in the second period.
- The Blackhawks got two power plays in the second period. The first was meh. The second was better, especially from the second unit. The third, which started inside the final two minutes of the period, was easily their best. Lardis and Lukas Reichel were good with the puck, there were good, quick passes and shots on net — unfortunately, nothing that cut the Blues’ lead in half.
- Greene won 9 of 15 faceoffs thru two periods, and Moore led the team with three shots on goal (tied with Martin Misiak).
- After appearing to get slower as the game went on in the first preseason game, the Blackhawks looked stronger/faster as this game progressed. They had the same number of shots on net as the Blues in the second period (11), had a 19-17 shot attempt advantage and were able to control the flow over the second half of the second period; of course, two power plays helps.
Third Period: 4-2 Blackhawks
- Sam Lafferty created a potential scoring chance while the Blackhawks were short-handed early in the third period. His shot was off Jordan Binnington and wide but he’s going to help that unit a lot.
- It appeared the strong power play late in the second period gave some energy to both Reichel and Lardis. They had a couple good shifts at even strength early in the third.
- Dominic Toninato got the Blackhawks on the board 11 minutes into the third period (assists to Lafferty and Murphy).
Toninato's shot finds its way through to get the Blackhawks on the board in the 3rd pic.twitter.com/sbyrmCOBFM
— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) September 28, 2025
- Toninato added a second point to his ledger 27 seconds later, setting up Hayes for the game-tying goal!
Oh my, the Blackhawks have tied the game as Toninato finds Gavin Hayes in front off a strong forecheck pic.twitter.com/kInKdHEQup
— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) September 28, 2025
- With three minutes left in regulation, Dach lowered the boom on a Blues skater trying to cross the neutral zone. The Blues decided collectively to try to jump Dach even though it was a clean hit, and Moore took the puck the other way and gave the Blackhawks a 3-2 lead. Huge hit, good finish. Two young guys making good things happen. Love to see it.
Oliver Moore has apparently given the Blackhawks the lead on one of the stranger sequences you'll see: pic.twitter.com/yP7t99u5vn
— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) September 28, 2025
- Jason Dickinson finished the night with an empty net goal. That’s four unanswered goals in the final ten minutes of regulation. After the Blackhawks appeared to run out of gas in Detroit, they slowly took this game over and controlled the third period.
- Knight was really good tonight. The first 35 minutes had some sloppy moments and he made a few big saves.
- Dach was the big story for me tonight. The fight, the big hit in the neutral zone. He played physical again — and, this time, it was against more NHL players. If there are 3-4 guys fighting for a couple spots on the Blackhawks’ NHL roster to start the regular season, thru two games Dach has done what he’s needed to earn one of them.
Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blackhawks/2025/09/27/blackhawks-4-blues-2-preseason-takeaways/
First SHL goal for 
for Flower.