Alexander Nylander and Adam Boqvist both scored and recorded an assist for the Blackhawks in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Capitals on Monday at Capital One Arena.
Collin Delia made 25 saves on 29 shots (0.862 save-percentage), offseason trade acquisition Aleski Saarela tipped in the first goal of the Blackhawks preseason, the penalty kill was 2 for 3 and Ryan Carpenter won 61.5-percent (8-of-13) of his faceoffs.
Game Charts
How it Happened
The Nylander – David Kampf – Saarela line made an immediate impact. Nylander forced a turnover at the Capitals blue line and started a 2-on-1 with Kampf, but his backdoor pass to Nylander was deflected away.
Delia looked strong early and was able to bail out defensemen Carl Dahlstorm and Slater Koekkoek after turnovers in the defensive zone, which swung the momentum the Blackhawks way.
Chicago’s first goal of the preseason started in the defensive zone after a strong breakout pass by Erik Gustafsson to Nylander, who protected the puck into the neutral zone. Nylander slowed the play down and made a slick sauce pass to Kampf on the opposite side. Kampf swung around the Capitals net and dropped the puck to Dennis Gilbert, who was skating down the wall. Gilbert found Nylander, who escaped the Capitals defender with a couple quick changes in direction, and then set up Gustafsson for a one-timer. Saarela tipped the shot and was credited with his first Blackhawks goal.
Saarela, along with defenseman Calvin de Haan, were acquired from the Hurricanes for Gustav Forsling and Anton Forsberg in June.
Near the start of the second period, the Capitals tied it up 1-1 following a whiffed shot from the high slot that ended up on Damien Riat’s stick backdoor.
Not much later, the Nylander – Kampf – Saarela line struck again. Saarela won a puck battle and swung it around the boards to Kampf, who one-touched it to Boqvist for a quick wrister toward the net. Nylander intercepted the shot, quickly moved it to his backhand and buried his first goal with the Blackhawks:
Then the Capitals took over.
They were all over the Blackhawks and scored two unanswered goals, a power play tally by Travis Boyd and another on a rebound by Aliaksei Protas that Kampf did a fly by on and Dahlstrom was caught puck watching:
Boqvist’s magic shifted momentum. Anton Wedin made a nice area pass to Matthew Highmore to enter the offensive zone. Dylan Sikura got the puck from Highmore, then circled in the high slot and fired a shot toward the net. The puck was deflected and Boqvist impressively settled the bouncing puck down to his stick. He then wrapped around the net and sniped a shot right below the the crossbar.
The third period saw the Blackhawks get their first power play of the game. Gustafsson quarterbacked the first unit with Nylander and Sikura on the half walls, while Boqvist controlled the blue line on the second unit.
Chicago took a too many men penalty with just under three minutes to go. Carpenter and Kampf started the penalty kill and the Blackhawks were able to get the game to overtime.
In 3-on-3 overtime, Carpenter had the best chance for the Blackhawks off a breakaway pass from Gustafsson, but Pheonix Copely denied him. Not much later Tom Wilson picked up the puck in the defensive zone, easily sped by Sikura, drove the net and buried the game winner:
Three Stars
1. Aliaksei Protas (WSH) – 1 G, 2 A
2. Adam Boqvist (CHI) – 1 G, 1 A
3. Alexander Nylander (CHI) – 1 G, 1 A
What’s Next?
The Blackhawks take on the Red Wings in their second preseason game at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena.