Can Blackhawks' Darling make the leap to starting goalie?

To say that next July figures to be one of the biggest months of Scott Darling's life would be an understatement of gargantuan proportions.

First and foremost, that's when the Chicago Blackhawks' backup goaltender will marry his fiancee, Martha Buckley. But before the couple ties the knot, Darling also may wed himself to another franchise and become that team's starter for the 2017-18 season.

"I try not to think about it. For me, it's when I get the chance, make the most of my time," Darling said. "That's what I've tried to do every minute I've been here."

With Corey Crawford playing for Team Canada in the World Cup, Darling is the veteran at training camp and he started the team's first preseason game against Pittsburgh at the United Center on Wednesday night. He has looked sharp in camp - with a highlight coming when he turned away Vinnie Hinostroza on a breakaway during the Sunday scrimmage - and kept it up against the Penguins, as he turned away 33 shots in a 2-0 loss.

"Darling certainly was a standout - not only when we got a little bit overwhelmed in the second period (allowing 23 shots on goal) - but really throughout the game," said assistant coach Kevin Dineen. "It's a testament to the way he prepared himself this summer."

To hone his craft, Darling spent the last week of August at a goalie camp in Madison, Wisconsin where he learned some new techniques other goalies are trying, in an effort to improve. One drill he described involved skating on his knees while using the toes, heels and the middle of his skate.

"(You are) really learning how to control every piece of your steel so you can control yourself moving around the crease better," Darling said. "(It's) totally different stuff that you never really would have thought of, and it just gives you some new tools to have in your own game."

Also participating were St. Louis' Jake Allen, Calgary's Brian Elliott, Tampa Bay's Ben Bishop, Dallas' Kari Lehtonen, Detroit's Jimmy Howard, Winnipeg's Michael Hutchinson and Ottawa's Andrew Hammond. Of those seven, all but Hammond and Hutchinson are their team's No. 1 goalie, and Elliott, Bishop, Lehtonen and Howard have a combined 1,301 starts and 757 victories.

Darling, who has made 37 NHL starts, would certainly love to join their fraternity and got a look at what it would be like to be a full-time starter late last season when Corey Crawford missed 11 games with an upper-body injury. During that stretch, Darling started every game and went 6-3-2 with a .910 save percentage.

For the season, the 6-foot-5, 200-pounder had a .915 save percentage in 29 games, which would have ranked just 24th among goalies with 35 or more starts.

That's why this season is so important to Darling, who is making just $600,000 in the second and final year of his deal. If the Lemont native and lifelong Blackhawks fan shows improvement, it's likely he'll earn a shot to be a team's starter.

"I think Scott's ready for that," said assistant coach Mike Kitchen. "When he gets the net, he wants to … hang onto the net, and that should be a backup goalie's thought process. You don't want to give it up. You get it, hang on to it for as long as you can. And it's good competition for Crow."

Crawford, who carries a $6 million cap hit, is signed for four more years after this season. Knowing Stan Bowman believes a top-notch goaltender is a must for any championship team, it's highly unlikely the Hawks' GM would deal his starter.

"I have no idea how that could unfold," Darling said. "It's the same thing as a couple years ago - I could have never written down the map of me getting to the Blackhawks.

"For right now I'm just going to do what got me to this point. As long as I play good, things will open up."

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