Home » AUTHORS » CHICAGO » Andrew Bard » Hawks win first of the season 4-2 over the Blues in home opener

Hawks win first of the season 4-2 over the Blues in home opener

  
The Chicago Blackhawks welcomed back Patrick Kane during their pregame ceremony as part of their home opener against the St. Louis Blues, a 4-2 win by the Hawks at the United Center on Tuesday night. (Photo courtesy of the NHL)

There are rough starts and there are really rough starts. For the Chicago Blackhawks, their first three games of the 2026-27 season, all on the road, were nothing short of disastrous. From poor efforts to an inability to consistently exit the defensive zone, this is only the start of what ails the Hawks in the early going. Could some home cookin’ cure what ails them? That’s what happened on Wednesday, as the Blackhawks host the St. Louis Blues at the United Center for their home opener. The game marked the long-awaited return of franchise icon Patrick Kane in a Hawks sweater. Spencer Knight started in goal for the Hawks against Joel Hofer for the Blues.

First period

The Blues drew first blood when Mason MacTavish scored his second of the season at 15:38. Nick Lardis turned the puck over in the neutral zone and MacTavish led the rush and snapped a wrist shot from the slot past Knight to give the Blues a 1-0 lead. After one, the Blues maintained a one-goal advantage.

Second period

After a Blues goal was challenged and overturned for being offside, the Blackhawks tied the game on a power-play goal by Sam Rinzel. Frank Nazar skated in and took a shot from the side of the net but a pinching Rinzel pounced on the rebound for his first of the season at 5:40 to tie the game at 1-1.

Exactly two minutes later, the Hawks took a 2-1 lead on Anton Frondell’s first of the season. Artyom Levshunov displayed some tremendous puck control as he faked a Blues player near the blue line then skated through three Blues players in the slot and made a blind backhand pass to Frondell, who buried the one-timer at 7:40.

The Hawks would take a one-goal lead into the locker room after two frames.

Third period

With the Hawks clinging to a one-goal lead while shorthanded and the Blues’ net empty, Cole Smith skated after a loose puck in the offensive zone and fired it in for his first of the season at 18:51 to give the Hawks a 3-1 lead.

With their net empty, the Blues battled back at Connor McMichael scored from the slot to cut the Hawks lead to 3-2.

Frank Nazar put it away with 3.4 seconds left as he outskated a Blues defender for his first of the season into the open net. Hawks won it 4-2.

Analysis

Hawks fans can exhale as the team put forth a solid effort on an emotional night highlighted by Kane’s return. While there were still moments of sloppy play including multiple defensive breakdowns that led to breakaways, Knight was there to shut the door. Knight made 25 saves and earned the game’s first star. The Hawks hit the road again for their next game against the New York Islanders on Thursday night at UBS Arena. Puck drop is at 6:30 p.m. CDT on CHSN with the radio call on WGN AM 720.

Leave a Reply