Emil Hemming got the kind of trust from Dallas Stars coaches Friday night that tells you where his development actually stands.
The Stars prospects opened their tournament in Detroit, and head coach Toby Petersen didn't hesitate to throw Hemming onto the penalty kill.
"He looks bigger and stronger this year compared to last, and there was no hesitation deploying him on the penalty kill," Petersen said.
Detroit outshot Dallas 17-4 through the first period and 27-13 by the midway point of the third, but never scored a single five-on-five goal.
Hemming had more jump than last year, drawing a slashing penalty early but also setting up a scoring chance with a nice cross-ice pass to Martino.
"Pro-level in general, you have to be a consistent forechecker," Petersen said. "You have to be willing to defend, willing to move your feet, willing to get in on the forecheck."
Charlie Paquette opened the scoring off a headfake move, feeding Justin Ertel for a shot off the post and in past goalie Trey Augustine.
Dallas leaned on its 18-year-old defensemen all night
Jakub Vaněček was the real story on the back end. The 18-year-old logged power play time, penalty kill minutes, and even overtime shifts.
"They were not sheltering the 18-year-old defensemen," Petersen said, calling it a different approach compared to last year's tournament.
Goaltender Arno Tiefensee stopped 17 shots in the opening period alone while Dallas managed only 4 shots of their own at the other end.
"He definitely kept us in it. He was making save after save," Petersen said, including a glove save on a back-door chance he called unbelievable.
The game ended in an eight-round shootout, and that marathon finish could open the door for goalie Matthew Humphries to get the next start.
Newcomer Mikhail Cherepanov also got his first look with the organization, setting up a scoring chance in his Stars debut despite calling his overall game a mix of ups and downs.
Dallas plays Game 2 of the tournament next, and how these same 18-year-olds respond after getting thrown into the fire tonight will say more than the shootout loss ever could.
Should NHL prospect tournaments stop sheltering 18-year-old defensemen?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Elliotte Friedman confirms major developments around Connor Hellebuyck
