Blackhawks goalie Drew Commesso earns first NHL win in spectacular fashion

In Blackhawks goalie prospect Drew Commesso's first NHL start last season in New Jersey, he carried a shutout into the second intermission before things fell apart in the third period.

He wrote an entirely different script in his third NHL start Saturday.

Commesso showed tremendous poise in scramble situations en route to a 37-save shutout, becoming the first Hawks goalie to earn his first NHL win via shutout since Corey Crawford, as the Hawks beat the Predators 3-0.

"There were a lot of pucks and rebounds laying around the crease, and I thought he was really strong," coach Jeff Blashill told reporters in Nashville.

Commesso, 23, was thrust abruptly into action this weekend due to Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom's illnesses, giving him an opportunity to make good on his statement during training camp that he felt NHL-ready.

He didn't get to prepare properly Friday and struggled against the Capitals, but with the advantage of a full pregame routine Saturday — plus a bit more familiarity with the NHL game — he demonstrated exactly why he has been touted as a notable prospect for years.

He's not a particularly big goalie, and his techniques aren't quite as sharp as Knight's. But he is quick and agile moving around the crease, he improvises with creativity, he uses his glove very well and — thanks to meditation and yoga, two of his many off-ice hobbies — he knows how to stay cool under pressure.

The Predators saved their strongest push for the third period, only for Commesso to survive wave after wave of scoring chances. They were credited with 4.32 expected goals (per Natural Stat Trick) yet scored zero actual goals.

His best save was probably a lizard-like snag of a Luke Evangelista shot through a perfect screen with 10:30 left, but there were many contenders for that title.

"Something I've learned about pro hockey is there's a lot out of your control," Commesso told reporters. "I went from not even playing in the Rockford game on Friday to starting for the Hawks back-to-back games. You never know. It's just good to lean back on my preparation when I need it."

On the offensive end, Connor Bedard recorded two assists to Tyler Bertuzzi and Nick Lardis and logged 20:55 of ice time, nearly four minutes more than Friday.

Lardis is quickly coming into his own as a sniper at the NHL level, and he extended his point streak to three consecutive games. Ryan Greene snapped his long drought with the game-sealing empty-net goal.

"I thought [Bedard] looked more comfortable tonight than last night, and he's going to look more comfortable next game than tonight," Blashill told reporters. "It's just the reality of being out for a long time and getting your groove back. He did some good things tonight, but there were some handles he normally would handle a little bit differently."