The natural tendency after someone makes his NHL debut is to praise his performance. Typically, that praise is justified; adrenaline can carry just about anyone for one night.
The praise Blackhawks prospect Frank Nazar received after his debut Sunday, however, was more than obligatory.
He scored his first NHL goal on his first NHL shot — just like Jonathan Toews did 17 years ago — and enjoyed a couple of other chances while also playing responsible defense, even though the Hawks let a third-period lead slip away in a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes.
It wasn’t just a special moment for Nazar, his family and the Hawks; it was a truly impressive performance by any measurement. It would’ve been equally impressive if it was, say, his 100th NHL game.
‘‘[With] his positioning and his hockey knowledge, he can read plays as they happen,’’ coach Luke Richardson said. ‘‘[Alex] Vlasic is very good at that on the defensive side. [Nazar], as a forward, is very good at that. He gets to people very quick and probably surprises them.
‘‘I liked when he came out of our zone once in the third period. He used his body as a shield and stretched that puck out and protected it. That’s a hockey player. Not everybody just does that. He knows how to play.’’
Nazar flew in Saturday from Minneapolis, where his University of Michigan team had just been eliminated in the Frozen Four, and arrived at the United Center early Sunday to get acclimated, despite the lack of an official morning skate.
He received a quick rundown of the Hawks’ systems for every situation, and it’s a good thing he did. Richardson was instantly comfortable using him anywhere. Included in Nazar’s 15 minutes, 55 seconds of ice time — most of which came on a line with Jason Dickinson and Joey Anderson — was 2:13 of power-play time and 1:04 of penalty-kill time.
‘‘[He’s] very responsible,’’ Richardson said. ‘‘[He stays] above his check all over the place. [He] definitely had a really good first game.’’
Frank Nazar: “I’m a little exhausted but it was a blast.”
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) April 15, 2024
He says his family put together a pros and cons list about turning pro but he ultimately decided to make the leap. pic.twitter.com/QYI6CSqe63
A stick-check by Hurricanes forward Jesper Fast disrupted Nazar just enough on a Grade-A chance in the slot on an early power play, but he got on the board on his next shift.
On a counterattack jump-started by Seth Jones, Nazar slipped behind the defense for a breakaway and ripped a shot past Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov before celebrating in style.
‘‘Who wouldn’t have any nerves going into their first NHL game?’’ Nazar said. ‘‘It was nice to get one early there to kind of calm it [down] and play a little bit more poised.’’
Nazar, a 20-year-old native of Detroit, called it a ‘‘really hard decision’’ to sign with the Hawks now rather than return for his junior year at Michigan. He made a list of pros and cons to aid the decision-making process. And after such a whirlwind weekend, he admitted he feels ‘‘a little exhausted’’ at the moment.
He’s expected to play in the Hawks’ final two games of the season (against the Golden Knights and Kings) on the road this week. Come next season, however, he’ll have a lot more time to find his NHL niche. And he also will have another summer of training and preparation under his belt.
‘‘He’ll be a guy who’s versatile,’’ Richardson said. ‘‘You can put him anywhere . . . and he’ll do well.’’
Andreas Athanasiou, whose speed made a difference throughout the game, scored early in the third period to give the Hawks a 2-1 lead, but Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis promptly notched a pair of power-play goals to flip the result.
The Hawks, who have lost four consecutive games, finished the season 16-21-4 at home. That isn’t great, but it’s far better than their 7-31-1 road mark.
