Drew Commesso’s Rhythm in AHL After Brief Taste of NHL
Drew Commesso’s first Blackhawks start back in December ended in disaster after two promising periods, but he believes it has helped him longer-term.
“Ever since then, I’ve just felt really confident,” Commesso said this past week. “My game has gotten a lot faster, and I feel like a much better goalie from it. I think my play recently displays that.”
### Finding His Groove
The Hawks’ top goalie prospect, a 22-year-old Boston University product now halfway through his second season in Rockford, has indeed righted the ship after a rough start to the season.
### AHL Success
Before making his first career NHL start Dec. 14 in New Jersey — allowing four goals (all in the third period) on 24 shots — he had gone 4-6-0 with an .879 save percentage in his first 10 AHL appearances of the season. Since then, he’s 4-3-2 with a .925 save percentage in his last nine AHL appearances, including two shutouts (Last season, he was 18-16-4 with a .906 save percentage.)
### Key Changes
“Up there, everything happens faster, and me realizing that has allowed me to play a little bit quicker down here,” Commesso added. “It allows me to read the play better and be a little bit ahead of pucks. If you watch my games recently, I feel like I’m doing a good job of beating plays instead of meeting them.”
### Coach Mark Eaton’s Observation
Said Rockford interim coach Mark Eaton: “When he’s on, it’s very noticeable. He makes every save look like an easy one, even though they’re not.”
### The Power of Meditation
Commesso is a very intelligent guy who is always innovating his approach to hockey, both on- and off-ice. Last season, he added meditation to his pregame routine, and he believes that slows things down and helps him focus solely on what he can control.
### Simplifying the Game
Because he’s so smart and creative, however, Commesso found early this season he was arguably trying to do too much simultaneously, and that was over-complicating his game. Rockford goalie coach Matt Smith helped him settle down.
### Focus on Fundamentals
“When you have goalies that are super intelligent, they have a tendency to understand the game at a different level,” Smith said. “But we have to get from Point A to Point B first, before we go to Point C. Sometimes they want to go right to Point C. It has really helped him to narrow his focus on one or two things at a time.”
### On-Ice Adjustments
Smith’s key fix to Commesso’s on-ice movement involved getting him set in his stance (with his knees bent) and square to the puck earlier than he had been.
### Side-to-Side Movement
A second, more nuanced change they made related to Commesso’s side-to-side movement in the crease.
### Conclusion
Commesso’s game has indeed improved significantly, and he’s now reaping the benefits of his hard work and adjustments.
### Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How has Commesso’s game improved?
A: Commesso’s game has gotten a lot faster, and he feels like a much better goalie from it. He’s gone 4-3-2 with a .925 save percentage in his last nine AHL appearances, including two shutouts.
Q: What changes has Commesso made to his game?
A: Commesso has made adjustments to his on-ice movement, getting set in his stance and square to the puck earlier, and also shifted his weight as he pushes and drives his head through side-to-side passes.
Q: What is Commesso’s pregame routine?
A: Commesso added meditation to his pregame routine last season, which he believes helps him focus solely on what he can control.
