The Chicago Blackhawks’ prospect team raced out to a 3–0 lead in the seventh place game in the Matthew Wuest Memorial Prospect Tournament and defeated the Minnesota Wild prospects 6–1.
Kirby Dach, Chicago’s top draft pick in the 2019 draft, started the scoring burying a shot past Wild goaltender Dereck Baribeau. Defenseman Adam Boqvist assisted on the goal.
Kirby Dach with authority to give the #HawksProspects a 1-0 lead off the rush. Entwistle with the assist. https://t.co/XkEF8QGl6D pic.twitter.com/Ctoq66DYSo
— Carter Baum (@CarterBaum) September 10, 2019
A few moments later, forward Riley McKay beat Baribeau to extend the Chicago lead to 2–0. McKay would also add a fight to his game resume after he dropped the gloves with forward Drake Pilon. McKay’s goal was assisted by forward Sean Josling.
Josling picks the pocket of a defenseman behind the goal and Riley McKay capitalizes on the loose puck. #HawksProspects pic.twitter.com/6FoiWr932N
— Carter Baum (@CarterBaum) September 10, 2019
Dach would leave the game after taking an awkward fall into the boards after taking a hit from Wild forward Darian Pilon. Pilon went off to the penalty box for boarding on the play.
The nasty boarding penalty that sent Kirby Dach to the locker room. #HawksProspects pic.twitter.com/AiNSwgm8KL
— Carter Baum (@CarterBaum) September 10, 2019
Forward MacKenzie Entwistle extended the Chicago lead to 3–0. The power play goal ended the scoring in the first period. Defenseman Nicolas Beaudin assisted on the tally.
Entwistle adds the third, Beaudin centered it off the boards. #Blackhawks flying nowm 3-1. pic.twitter.com/GwtYIp6eAM
— Carter Baum (@CarterBaum) September 6, 2019
The Blackhawks would add to their injured players when Boqvist, forward Phillipp Kurashev and forward Mikael Hakkarainen all left the ice in the second period of play.
Early in the third period, Chicago extended their lead to 4–0 when forward Tim Soderlund beat Baribeau after a nice give-and-go with forward Michal Teply.
Tim Soderlund with the intercept in his own zone and finishes a give-and-go with Michal Teply to give the #HawksProspects a 4-0 lead early in the third. Second of the tournament for the 2017 fourth rounder. pic.twitter.com/YMMKHaELrW
— Carter Baum (@CarterBaum) September 10, 2019
Forward Dylan McLaughlin beat Baribeau for Chicago’s fifth goal of the game when he beat the 6-foot-6 goaltender short side. Josling picked up his second assist of the game on the goal.
Cross-ice feed from Sean Josling and Dylan McLaughlin roofs it from a difficult angle for a 5-0 lead. Second assist on the afternoon for free-agent Josling. #HawksProspects pic.twitter.com/eAOUto0gQQ
— Carter Baum (@CarterBaum) September 10, 2019
The third Chicago goal of the period extended their lead to 6–0 after Teply scored his first of the game. Soderlund assisted on the play.
Soderlund and Teply team up again to take a 6-0 lead. Former does the leg work to find the latter. #HawksProspects pic.twitter.com/mCGYsIxNsj
— Carter Baum (@CarterBaum) September 10, 2019
Minnesota finally figured out Chicago goaltender Alexis Gravel with just over two minutes left to play in the game when forward Connor Dewar scored. Gravel finished the game with 27 saves in the contest.
With the victory, Chicago finished the tournament in seventh place following a record of 2–2. However, the organization will keep a close eye on the four Blackhawks players that left the game early due to suspected injuries. Early reports indicate the injuries are not serious.