With Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson and interim coach Anders Sörensen sitting in the upper stands of Allstate Arena, it’s hard to imagine scripting a more informative game for the team’s prospects than Game 1 of the Rockford IceHogs’ first-round AHL playoff series against the Chicago Wolves.
Kevin Korchinski tied the game 1-1 late in the second period. Drew Commesso made some big saves late to send the game to overtime. And Artyom Levshunov bagged the game-winner in OT on a power play.
“We played a full 60 (minute)-plus game, and Arty, it was a great goal and put us over the hump,” Korchinski said. “Messo, obviously, was standing on his head.”
The IceHogs’ 2-1 victory over the host Wolves was also a playoff first for interim coach Mark Eaton, a first-time head coach on any level.
“It’s not really about me,” he said. “I’m so happy for the guys, they’re stepping up to this occasion. For veteran guys, they’re getting an opportunity to play playoff hockey and hopefully make a deep run. And for our young guys, our prospects, this playoff experience is going to serve them well throughout their careers.”
Eaton, the Hawks assistant general manager of player development, was tapped to lead the Hogs when Sörensen was called up to Chicago midseason to replace Luke Richardson, who was fired.
After starting 8-9-2 under Sörensen, the Hogs finished the regular season 23-24-6 under Eaton.
Veteran forward Brett Seney said Eaton has “been great” and also credited assistant coach Rob Klinkhammer for taking on more responsibility. “I think Eats just kind of let him run with that,” Seney said.
Eaton said the transition from NHL defenseman to development chief to coach has been about adjusting his perspective.
“You see things a certain way as a player,” he said. “You see the game a certain way when you’re in player development. As a player, I used to know what my job was as a defenseman. But (as a coach, you have to) learn systems and learning every player’s jobs within a system.
“I’m sure a lot is falling on our coaching staff. They’ve had to teach me and all that. And it’s been a great learning experience for me.”
Here’s a closer look at four IceHogs who played prominent roles in the Game 1 win.
1. You want ‘creative’ from Korchinski? How’s this for creative?
During the Hawks’ end-of-season interviews last week, Davidson acknowledged Korchinski, 20, had “some struggles, but the thing with Kevin that we forget is that he’s a really young defenseman.
“He was here all of last year (as a rookie), so it’s easy to forget how old he actually is.”
Davidson added Korchinski’s “raw talent” took steps forward, but he didn’t always maximize his gifts with the Hawks.
“Would he have liked to create a little more offensively? Would he have liked to feel a little more steady in some of his stints here? Yeah,” Davidson said. “But we’ve seen players go up, down, come back.”
How’s this for creative, albeit unintentionally.
Korchinski’s goal for the IceHogs bounced off the back wall, and as Wolves goalie Spencer Martin tried in vain to find the puck, he inadvertently pulled it into the goal with his leg.
“A goal is a goal, right?” Eaton said. “There’s no pictures on the score sheet.”
Added Korchinski: “I guess that’s the hockey gods just kind of helping us out.” He recalled how his first NHL goal, on Nov. 9, 2023, in Tampa, Fla., went in off defenseman Darren Raddysh’s skate.
“If you just shoot the puck, you can get bounces,” Korchinski said. “So just kind of a note to me. I’m usually a passer first, so shoot the puck more.”
While he’s taking notes, Korchinski had this response to Davidson’s note about showing more creativity: “All over the ice, you want to try and make plays, but at the same time, you’ve got to be simple. You can’t be too fancy. And especially at the blue (line), you’ve got to make the right play.”
Korchinski made the right play on a key block in the third period, but he hurt his right knee, which was wrapped in ice after the game.
“I can skate on it,” he said, adding he has no doubt he’ll play in Friday’s Game 2 in Rockford. “I took a couple shifts off. You don’t want to go out there, and especially with a 1-1 game, cost your team because you’re trying to be a hero.”
2. Levshunov ‘knows he’s got the talent.’
Levshunov has yet to score his first NHL goal, but he had a 36.4% shots-through percentage on the power play compared with 30.9% at even strength.
In Game 1 of the AHL playoffs, his shot slipped through a lot of traffic — and fooled Martin on a far-side angle — to secure the overtime win with a power-play goal. Levshunov also cleared a puck from the blue paint earlier in the game and saved a goal for Commesso.
“He’s been great since coming down from Chicago,” Seney said. “You can tell he’s got the confidence. A couple plays up top, he danced a couple of their forwards. … He knows he’s got the talent to do it at this level.”
Eaton liked Levshunov’s intensity throughout the game.
“All the things that made him successful at the NHL level, our expectation was that he brings that down here, (he) relishes this playoff opportunity that he’s getting, and he was able to do that,” Eaton said.
3. Commesso had his best playoff showing.
Commesso is looking for better outcomes than his first taste of the AHL playoffs last season: eight goals allowed in three games, with a 2.57 goals against average.
He held the Wolves to one goal, making 20 saves. He also stopped one puck that was hugging the line from crossing over. And with 42 seconds left in regulation, he thwarted a two-on-one that began off a bad pass from Levshunov.
“He’s been so solid, making the saves you expect him to make, but then making the big ones when called upon,” Eaton said. “And he made some big saves tonight on two-on-ones, kept the score level, and ultimately, gave us that opportunity to win in overtime.”
4. Newcomer Aidan Thompson has caught on quickly.
After Thompson’s NCAA Tournament run with the University of Denver ended, he signed a two-year, entry-level contract ($895,000 salary-cap hit) with the Hawks.
The forward joined the IceHogs on a professional tryout for Rockford’s final four regular-season games before making his playoff debut Wednesday.
“Aidan’s been great,” Eaton said. “He’s stepped right in. He kind of shows the offensive IQ that he has, the quickness, the strength on pucks, the ability to create separation. And I think he’s transitioning seamlessly to the pro level here.”
The Hawks liked his speed when they drafted him in the third round in 2022.
Seney thought Thompson stood out against the Wolves.
“Thompson was great, a kid in maybe his fifth game with us,” he said. “And he was one of our best forwards. He had a lot of chances.”