Dylan Sikura scores hat trick game-winner as Team Black takes a pair of wins in 15-minute games
ByCarter Baum
Blackhawks.com
The Blackhawks held a pair of 15-minute scrimmages on Tuesday morning at Fifth Third Arena, wrapping up Day 9 of training camp with another high-scoring taste of game action before an off day on Wednesday.
Team Black took both games, 3-1 in the opening 15 minutes and then 3-2 in overtime during the second session, with Dylan Sikura scoring all three goals.
Team Black jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the opening game, starting first full-line finish from Ryan Carpenter. After a stretch of sustained offensive zone possession, David Kampf weaved through the slot and found Matthew Highmore near the left circle, who then hit a streaking Carpenter at the top of the crease for a tap-in.
Yet again, the line of Alex Nylander, Dylan Strome and Patrick Kane stepped up during the scrimmage with a pair of quick strikes. First, Strome found Nylander in the slot for a quick wrister and then soon after the ensuing draw, Kane drove into the offensive zone, drawing three defenders to him along the boards before feeding the late-trailing Adam Boqvist for a 3-0 lead.
The rookies answered for Team Red to spoil the shutout just before the end of the first game. Kirby Dach drove down the wall into the zone before finding Dominik Kubalik on the dot, where the Calder Trophy finalist picked a top corner to pull the scoreline to 3-1.
A trio of trades at the break saw Kubalik, Drake Caggiula and Dylan Sikura moved from Team Red to Team Black for the second half, with Carpenter, Kampf and Philipp Kurashev heading the other way in the deal.
Sikura stepped up right away with his new club, benefitting from a Alex DeBrincat drive through the high slot off a rush. DeBrincat dished a backhander to Sikura on the wing, where the 25-year-old fired a quick shot past Kevin Lankinen for a quick 1-0 lead for Team Black.
Brent Seabrook looked like Brent Seabrook a few minutes later, rifling a slap shot past Collin Delia for a quick answer and a 1-1 scoreline. Kampf drew the attention at the point before finding the late trailer in Seabrook.
The very next shift, DeBrincat fed Sikura for a second straight goal as the chemistry of two playmakers continued to blossom.
Carpenter scored his second of the day -- one for each team -- shortly after, taking a feed on the faceoff dot on a rush and putting a quick wrister on net the beat Delia to tie the game 2-2.
In a sudden-death overtime period, Sikura completed the Game 2 hat trick to seal the victory for Team Black, picking up the puck out of a scrum in the corner and walking to the front of the net, beating Lankinen upstairs for the game-winner.
2 - Duncan Keith
12 - Alex DeBrincat
17 - Dylan Strome
20 - Brandon Saad
22 - Ryan Carpenter (Team Red for second half)
27 - Adam Boqvist
30 - Kevin Lankinen
36 - Matthew Highmore
55 - Nick Seeler
64 - David Kampf (Team Red for second half)
71 - Philipp Kurashev (Team Red for second half)
74 - Nicolas Beaudin
88 - Patrick Kane
90 - Matt Tomkins
92 - Alex Nylander