The Chicago Blackhawks are in the midst of another tough stretch of another tough season. They lost their last four games straight coming into Thursday night’s action, with the most recent being an overtime loss to Jonathan Toews and the Winnipeg Jets. They would make one lineup change for Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers, with Sasha Boisvert inserted for Sam Lafferty.
First period
There was not a whole lot of action in the first period of this game, as the Oilers outshot the Blackhawks 12-5, but neither team solved the goaltenders, keeping it tied at 0-0 through one.
Second period
Five and a half minutes into the second, the Blackhawks got caught flat-footed. Adam Henrique found a seam and exploited it, getting behind the defense for a breakaway. His first shot was stopped by Arvid Soderblom, but he put the rebound home, 1-0 Edmonton. Just under seven minutes later, the Oilers would have another chance on the power play. Louis Crevier got called for a hold and put Edmonton on the man advantage. They capitalized on that opportunity, with Matthew Savoie putting the puck off Alex Vlasic and in, 2-0 Oilers.
With just a couple of minutes left, it looked like Savoie got his second of the game, but it was called back for an offside, as Connor McDavid went into the zone before the puck did. That kept things at 2-0 going into the intermission.
Third period
Five minutes into the third, the Blackhawks snuck their first goal past Tristan Jarry. Nick Lardis got the puck in front after some passing down low. He put the puck just past the reach of Jarry, putting the Blackhawks on the board 2-1.
we ❤️ Nick Lardis goals! pic.twitter.com/apQdTWuGRJ
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 3, 2026
The visitors could not manage to get another to get back in it, however, with Vasily Podkolzin potting an empty-netter to put the game out of reach and give the Oilers a 3-1 victory.
Analysis
The Blackhawks did not have much to give in this game. They looked like a team that accepted defeat from the opening puck drop. They could not keep up with Edmonton’s firepower, and could not come back from a second period with two power plays that they had to kill off back to back. Overall, this simply looked like a team that is ready for their season to end without anything left to play for.
The Blackhawks’ next game is on Saturday night at the Seattle Kraken. That game will be on CHSN at 9 p.m. CDT.