In the first of two exhibition games against the US Under-18 National Team Development Program — a prestigious hockey factory that has produced dozens of NHL players — ASU hockey couldn’t complete a comeback.
In the Sun Devils’ 5-3 loss, NHL lore was already rearing its head. Forward Brady Tkachuk, the son of retired NHL legend Keith Tkachuk and the younger brother of Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk, scored first to give NTDP a 1-0 lead.
"They are a really skilled team," head coach Greg Powers said through Sun Devil Athletics. “They scored on pretty much all their chances, and their goalie made some big saves. They were more opportunistic than us tonight.”
On the ice for warmups! #ASUvsUSA pic.twitter.com/qL2UUm865E
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) February 24, 2017
Freshman forward Tyler Busch, who tied for the second-most goals on the Sun Devils this season with nine, knotted things back up later in the first period.
But just 60 seconds into the second period, Tkachuk struck again, giving NTDP a 2-1 lead, and forward Josh Norris made 3-1 less than a minute after that.
Things looked bleak when NTDP got its fourth goal to make it 4-1 in the second, but sophomore forward Louie Rowe cut ASU’s deficit to two with an even-strength tally.
About halfway through the third period, with ASU now down 5-2, Busch scored his second of the game. Powers pulled freshman goalie Daccord to get the 6-on-5 advantage near the end of regulation, but it yielded nothing.
All of the goals allowed by Daccord were even-strength. He stopped 23 of 28 shots in the loss.
Tonight's lines features @cliff_show making his debut as a 4th-line forward! #ASUvsUSA pic.twitter.com/HJrQRoURq1
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) February 24, 2017
Leading up to the contest, ASU hockey lost one of its top offensive producers, junior forward Wade Murphy, who finished tied for the third-most points this season with 20. He departs the Sun Devils after signing a professional contract with the Manchester Monarchs of the ECHL.
Thus, head coach Greg Powers moved sophomore defenseman Jake Clifford to the fourth line of forwards and also elected to play with seven defensemen, not the traditional six. In all, only two players were scratched in Friday’s loss: forwards Jake Montgomery and David Norris.
“I think we were a little slow in playing to what we've established as our identity, but we came out in the third, got our legs under us, and played Sun Devil hockey,” Powers said. “Hopefully we can come out tomorrow and play all three periods that way."
ASU will try to split the series on Saturday evening in its final game of the season.
Reach the reporter at matthew.layman@asu.edu or follow @Mattjlayman on Twitter.
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