First period

The Islanders struck first late in the opening frame on the power play when Bo Horvat scored his third of the season. Off a faceoff win, Matthew Schaefer shot one from the point that Soderblom denied but Horvat pounced on the rebound at 19:01 to give the Isles a 1-0 lead after one.

Second period

At 6:44, Emil Heineman scored his second of the young season to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead. It was an unfortunate break (literally) for the Hawks, as Sam Rinzel broke his stick and Matias Maccelli on the half wall found Heineman trailing and he fired a wrist shot from the top of the left circle to extend the Islanders’ lead.

Former Blackhawk forward Anthony Duclair extended the Islanders’ lead to 3-0 with his first of the season. Duclair had a step on Artyom Levshunov driving to the net and drew a penalty. Jean-Gabriel Pageau retrieved the puck from the corner and fed Logan Stanley in the right circle and he made a diagonal pass to a wide-open Duclair, who buried it at 9:38. The home team would take a 3-0 into the locker room after two periods.

Third period

With 2:32 left and the Hawks’ net empty, Patrick Kane found Frank Nazar in the slot and he connected on a one-timer for his second of the season. The Hawks trailed 3-1.

BANG https://t.co/lwA2M7i4hu

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 9, 2026

Bo Horvat iced the game with an empty-net goal for his second of the game and fourth of the season. The Islanders would go on to win 4-1.

Analysis

The Hawks had a solid start offensively against a tough team on the road but could not put the puck in the net. Eventually, the Islanders broke through and the Hawks could not come back. Beyond the loss, the Hawks may be without Nazar for a game or two after being assessed a match penalty following a hit to the head of Horvat as he scored the Islanders’ fourth goal. While the Hawks were able to generate some offensive zone pressure at even strength, they continue to end possessions in turnovers and odd-man rushes the other way instead of goals.

The Blackhawks return home to face the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night at the United Center. Puck drop is at 6 p.m. CDT on CHSN with the radio call on 720 AM WGN.

The post Hawks lose fourth straight road game, fall 4-1 to the Islanders appeared first on The Rink.

First period

The Islanders got on the board at the 0:49 mark of the opening period when Anders Lee tipped in Matthew Schaefer’s shot from the point as he made his way to the front of the net untouched. Bo Horvat also assisted on the early tally.

Anders Lee – New York Islanders (16) pic.twitter.com/T4sYEwEbX1

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) March 25, 2026

Chicago would then fire off three straight goals to take a 3-1 lead into the first intermission. Lardis scored his seventh of the season assisted by Frank Nazar and Tyler Bertuzzi. Lardis’ snap shot beat starting goaltender David Rittich, who would be replaced by Ilya Sorokin after the period.

Nick Lardis – Chicago Blackhawks (7) pic.twitter.com/9mOC1S0WeU

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) March 25, 2026

The Blackhawks would take the 2-1 lead after forward Ilya Mikheyev fired a shot behind Rittich, which gave former No. 3 overall draft pick Frondell his first NHL point in his first NHL game.

Nick Lardis – Chicago Blackhawks (7) pic.twitter.com/9mOC1S0WeU

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) March 25, 2026

Bertuzzi scored at the 19:31 mark to get the Blackhawks’ the aforementioned 3-1 lead. The goal, Bertuzzi’s 29th of the season, was assisted by Alex Vlasic and Lardis.

Tyler Bertuzzi – Chicago Blackhawks (29) pic.twitter.com/4DRWr0X8dq

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) March 25, 2026

Second period

Chicago would score the only goal of the middle frame when Nazar fired home his 12th of the season, notching Lardis’ second assist of the game.

Frank Nazar – Chicago Blackhawks (12) pic.twitter.com/YNY5CntEWw

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) March 25, 2026

Third period

The Islanders would cut the lead to 4-2 when Simon Holmstrom beat Soderblom for this 19th goal of the season. The goal was assisted by Scott Mayfield.

Chicago would continue to weather the storm of pressure from the home team until the 16:37 mark of the period when Callum Ritchie scored to make the score 4-3. The goal, Ritchie’s 10th of the season, was assisted by Carson Soucy and Mathew Barzal.

Chicago would be outshot 23-5 in the final period but the young team would hang onto the 4-3 victory.

The Blackhawks are back in action on Thursday for a 6 p.m. CDT puck drop against the Philadelphia Flyers at the XFinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.

Analysis

Soderblom was excellent in the victory, stopping 44 of the 47 shots faced. Chicago was also outshot 35-12 in the final two periods of action and the 26-year-old goaltender stood on his head to earn the victory.

Chicago fans were excited to see Frondell in action after selecting the 18-year-old Swedish forward third overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. Frondell played 15:43 and earned his first NHL point. The forward help that Bedard surely needs has arrived early and Blackhawk fans should be excited about this one-two punch moving forward.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks beat Islanders 4-3, Frondell registers assist in debut appeared first on The Rink.

First period

The Islanders took an early 1-0 lead on Calum Ritchie’s fifth goal of the season. Wyatt Kaiser was surrounded by three Islanders, who forced a turnover near the blue line. Simon Holmstrom skated in alone with Ritchie, who received the pass and fired it off the shaft of Knight’s stick at 2:56.

Bo Horvat made it 2-0 with a power-play goal. Mat Barzal dished it to Horvat, who fired a wrist shot from the right circle past Knight for his 21st of the season at 12:08. The Islanders would take a 2-0 lead after one.

Second period

Teuvo Teravainen got the Hawks on the board with his seventh of the season. Artyom Levshunov, who had been putting on a skating display all game, carried the puck up the right wing boards and fed Oliver Moore in the slot, who set up Teravainen for a one-timer that he buried at 15:31 to cut the deficit to 2-1.

With the Hawks on a four-minute power play, Nick Lardis tied the game at 2-2 with his second of the season in the closing seconds of the period. Moore skated up the right wing side and found Lardis in the left circle, who fired a one-timer past Rittich at 19:57 to tie the game at 2-2 after two periods.

Third period

The Hawks nearly won it in the closing seconds when Nick Foligno missed a wide-open cage with five seconds left in regulation. After a scoreless third, the teams went to overtime

Overtime

The Hawks had a few great chances early in the extra frame but could not cash in. With a little over two minutes left, Levshunov took a tripping penalty, however, the Hawks killed it off and went to a shootout.

Shootout

Lardis, Barzal and Teravainen traded misses, then Horvat slowed up and buried a wrist shot up high. That goal would stand, as Ryan Donato was denied and the Islanders got the extra point and the 3-2 win.

Analysis

After a slow start that brought flashbacks of Sunday night’s stinker against the Penguins, the Hawks rebounded with a strong effort. They tightened up defensively in the final two periods, which allowed them to fight their way back and tie it up only to fall short in the shootout. Levshunov put on a show with his outstanding skating ability and creativity. The line of Moore between Lardis and Teravainen was excellent and accounted for both Hawks goals while generating numerous other scoring chances.

The Hawks remain home for their next contest on Thursday night against the Dallas Stars. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. CST on CHSN with the radio call on 720 AM WGN.

The post RECAP: Hawks come back but fall 3-2 to Islanders in shootout appeared first on The Rink.

Arvid Soderblom got the start in net in this second game versus the Islanders, and Joey Anderson drew in for Nick Foligno, who was out sick, and Louis Crevier replaced Wyatt Kaiser on the back end.

First period

It took almost half of the period, but the Blackhawks would be the first to strike. Nine minutes and eight seconds in, Teuvo Teravainen found Ilya Mikheyev, who put a shot on net from in between the circles that went through, 1–0 Blackhawks.

a Mikheyev goal highlight for your feed pic.twitter.com/kAusYjw5Mi

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 15, 2024

The first would be back and forth, and the Islanders would strike back. After a clearing attempt was held in, Ryan Pulock put a slapshot on net that got past Soderblom, knotting things up at 1–1. We were not done yet, though! With just 20 seconds left, and after some beautiful passing, Taylor Hall put a wrister on net from the right circle that beat Ilya Sorokin, ending the period at 2–1 Blackhawks.

Taylor Hall with a quick response for the @NHLBlackhawks #Blackhawks | #NHLNShowcase pic.twitter.com/fqtTXrh63J

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) December 15, 2024

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Second period 

The second period involved some more back and forth, with both teams getting chances on the power play, but only one converting. The Islanders struck first, but on 5-on-5 play. Pierre Engvall got the puck in near the crease, with his pass to the front deflecting off of Simon Holmstrom and into the net, knotting things up at 2–2. The Blackhawks managed to draw two penalties back to back, putting them on the two-man advantage. Teravainen took a beautiful pass from Bedard and slapped it past Sorokin, 3–2 Blackhawks.

THREE POINTS FOR TEUVO KIND OF DAY pic.twitter.com/reQpLokFCF

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 15, 2024

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The Blackhawks were unable to do anything with the remaining power play, and the period would end with Chicago retaining its 3–2 lead.

Third period

Just 47 seconds into the frame, the Blackhawks’ defense did what they have done all season: broke down. They allowed Noah Dobson to skate in and put a shot on the ice that went past Soderblom to knot things up. Chicago then challenged, and it was not overturned, likely due to Soderblom being too far out of his crease.

In the last minute of the game, things got interesting. Ryan Donato took a rebound and got it around the net to Bedard, who squibbed the puck past the goaltender, giving the Blackhawks the lead again.

Bedsy in the final minute of the game? Clutch. pic.twitter.com/4p9o4oP2By

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 15, 2024

Connor Murphy would add an empty-netter for good measure, giving the Blackhawks the 5–3 win.

Analysis

The Blackhawks, despite their own selves, managed to eek out a win. The Dobson goal was inexcusably bad defense that allowed the Islanders to get too close to the net and score. That simply cannot happen when a team is trying to win games. The penalty kill was a success, as they killed off all four chances against, not really allowing anything too dangerous to get to Soderblom. Hopefully, more forwards will step up and start getting some more shots on net. Bedard and Teravainen having multi-point games is good, but if other lines would participate in the scoring a little more, it would be way more beneficial to this team to put more wins together.

The Blackhawks’ next game is on Tuesday night versus the Washington Capitals at the United Center. That game will be on CHSN at 7:30 p.m. CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks get back on track, beat Islanders 5–3 appeared first on The Rink.

First period

Bedard opened the scoring in the first period on the power play with a wrist shot that beat Islander goaltender Ilya Sorokin at the 16:47 mark of the frame. Bedard found the puck on his stick after a wild pass from Alex Vlasic could not be corralled by the Islanders and Bedard scored a beautiful goal moving to his left while shooting right. The goal was assisted by Ryan Donato and Vlasic.

Connor Bedard with a ridiculous shot for his 6th goal of the season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/ZhaxnpMNZO

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 13, 2024

Chicago outshot New York 11–6 in the period and played well for most of the period.

Second period

New York scored twice in the middle period to take a 2–1 lead with goals from Dennis Cholowski and Simon Homlstrom. Chowolski took a nice pass from Holmstrom and fired a slap shot past Soderblom, a bad goal that beat him glove side. Holmstrom’s goal took a nice saucer pass from Ryan Pulock and fired home a snap shot that Soderblom apparently did not see as the puck was in the net before he could even make a true reaction.

Down 2–1 and after the second period of play while chasing the puck most of the period seemed like the tides were turning in favor of the home team.

Third period

New York scored three straight goals as Noah Dobson, Bo Horvat and Maxim Tsyplakov each beat Soderblom to give the Islanders what many thought would be a comfortable 5–1 lead. The good news, down four goals, was the substitution of Drew Commesso into the game and the exit of Soderblom, who has now given up 3-plus goals in four of his last five starts.

Commesso, a potential Blackhawks goaltender when the rebuild is over, stopped both shots he faced in his first NHL game action.

Just over halfway in the period, T.J. Brodie fired home a slap shot behind Sorokin to cut the Islander lead to 5–2. The goal, assisted by Bedard and Nick Foligno, gave the newly acquired defenseman his first goal of the season.

Chicago goal!

Scored by Tyler Bertuzzi with 00:10 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by Alex Vlasic and Connor Bedard.

New York: 5
Chicago: 4#CHIvsNYI #Isles #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/nqspYh0G12

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) December 13, 2024

Chicago would get two goals in a minute from Bertuzzi to cut the Islander lead to 5–4 with 10 seconds to play in the game, making the score appear better than the actual play on the ice.

Chicago goal!

Scored by Tyler Bertuzzi with 00:10 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by Alex Vlasic and Connor Bedard.

New York: 5
Chicago: 4#CHIvsNYI #Isles #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/nqspYh0G12

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) December 13, 2024

The last-place Blackhawks travel to Newark, New Jersey, to take on the New Jersey Devils for a 12 p.m. CST puck drop. Fans can potentially see the game on the NHL Network, CHSN or MSGSN unless management and companies decide they cannot.

Analysis

After what many fans thought was the coming-out party of Soderblom has turned into a mess over his last five appearances. In this time, the 25-year-old has faced 118 shots while stopping 103 for a whopping .872 save percentage.

Bedard continued to show his offensive skills with a three-point night, giving the young phenom 85 points in 97 career games as he approaches the 100-game mark for his career.

Chicago lost 72.7% of the faceoffs in the game and it showed, as they were chasing the puck most of the night. Some will argue faceoffs do not matter, but just like winning the coin flip in overtime in football, no coach would rather lose the faceoff than win it.

The post RECAP: Bedard tallies three points in Blackhawks’ 5–4 loss to Islanders appeared first on The Rink.

The Islanders came into this game with a sense of desperation. They won the night before against the Flyers, 4–3, and are hoping to get into a playoff spot. Entering tonight, New York sat three points behind the Washington Capitals for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Petr Mrazek got the start tonight in net for the Hawks, replacing Arvid Soderblom. For the Islanders, Ilya Sorokin got the start in net after not playing since March 24. 

With tonight’s game, Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi competed in his 200th career NHL game.

First period

The play on the ice did not match the score at the end of the first period. The Islanders came out aggressive and kept the Hawks on their heels through most of the first.

Despite the dominant start by New York, the Blackhawks were able to find the back of the net in the first. On a rush, Jason Dickinson was able to score his 21st goal of the season nearly 12 minutes into the game. He was assisted on the play by Connor Bedard and Philipp Kurashev.

Connor Bedard with the sweet pass to Jason Dickinson pic.twitter.com/dD4axVYR9l

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 2, 2024

The rest of the period was more of the same. Chicago struggled to get out of their own zone, and New York tried their best to take advantage. With less than two minutes remaining in the period, Tinordi was invited to a fight by Matt Martin, and he obliged. Martin was able to wrestle Tinordi to the ice. The bout was likely a response for the Islanders to Tinordi’s big, clean hit on Jean-Gabriel Pageau earlier in the frame.

The score at the end of the period was 1–0 in favor of Chicago. Despite the lead, New York held a 12–8 shot advantage over the Hawks, along with a significant lead in the face-off circle and in offensive zone puck possession time.

Second period

The second period was more of the first, with somehow less scoring. New York constantly threatened to score. The Islanders were able to keep the puck in the Chicago zone for most of the period, and fired the puck at the net efficiently. However, nothing got by, leaving them behind the Blackhawks at the end of the period.

The score remained 1–0 at the end of the period. The Islanders outshot the Hawks 14–6 in the second, giving them a 26–14 shot advantage at the end of two.

Third period

The third period began with all momentum going the Islanders’ way. Kurashev was called for holding less a minute into the period. The Islanders immediately took advantage, with Bo Horvat scoring on the power play. Horvat was assisted by Mathew Barzal and Casey Cizikas.

Once New York tied it, the crowd got back into it for the home team. Like in the first two periods, the Islanders stayed on the attack, leaving the Hawks on their heels throughout the period.

Near the halfway point of the third, New York took the lead. On a physical net-front attempt, Simon Holmstrom pushed one behind Mrazek to give New York the 2–1 lead.

The rest of the period was more of the same for Chicago. New York kept denying chances, and kept the pressure up. Even with pulling Mrazek at the end of the game in an attempt to tie the game, the Blackhawks fell short.

Analysis

The final score does not tell the entire story of this matchup. New York was the better team on the ice, and had plenty of chances to score. Lucky bounces and a solid performance by Mrazek kept the Hawks in the game. In the end, the levy broke and Chicago was unable to find any offensive momentum to answer back.

The Blackhawks return home to Chicago on Saturday when they take on the Dallas Stars at 2:30 p.m. CDT.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks smothered by the Islanders, lose 2–1 appeared first on The Rink.

Brock Nelson opened the scoring with his 20th of the season on the Islanders first shot of the game at 6:09 of the first. Hudson Fasching entered the Hawks zone, stopped at the blue line then led Nelson with a pass as he had a step on the Hawks defender and skated in alone, and fired a shot through the five hole of Mrazek to give the Isles a 1-0 advantage. The score would remain through the first 20 minutes.

With 1:53 left in the second period, Boris Katchouk tied it at 1-1. Katchouck skated in alone but was denied by Sorokin. Katchouck picked up his own rebound and skated into the slot and fired a wrist shot past Sorokin for his fifth of the season.

Katchouk isn’t the most skilled guy but he never quits on a play #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/G5QrDI3geq

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) January 20, 2024

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The Blackhawks took the lead with 45.7 seconds left in the middle period when Joey Anderson scored his first of the season. Colin Blackwell skated in on a two-on-one and fed Anderson who tapped it in to give the Hawks a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes.

STAND UP UC pic.twitter.com/ozvH9MRBHy

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 20, 2024

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The Blackhawks extended their lead to 3-1 when Jason Dickinson scored his 15th of the season. A Noah Dobson turnover led to a Hawks odd-man rush up the ice. Anderson fed a wide-open Dickerson at 5:10 of the third period.

this goal pic.twitter.com/W2yzuEgCnf

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 20, 2024

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The Islanders cut the Blackhawks’ lead to 3-2 at 6:37 of the third. Matt Barzal picked up a loose puck and dished it to Bo Horvat for his 18th of the season.

At 12:50 of the third, the Isles tied it at 3-3 when Kyle Palmieri scored his 11th of the season. Palmieri skated into the Hawks zone behind the net and scored on a wraparound with Mrazek caught out of position. Sixty minutes was not enough so the teams headed to overtime in a 3-3 tie.

It did not take long for the Hawks to skate away with a 4-3 win in overtime. Just 22 seconds into the extra frame, Seth Jones fired a wrist shot from the middle of the ice just inside the blue line for his first of the season that went past a screened Sorokin to give the Hawks the win.

HAWKS OT WIN ON A FRIDAY NIGHT pic.twitter.com/acgmqc6lO2

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 20, 2024

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Analysis

The Hawks performed a complete 180 from their Thursday night debacle with a strong effort against a gritty Islanders team that was looking for its first win in the final game of their current four-game road trip. It was not to be as the Hawks played a simple game by consistently putting the puck on net and keeping their feet moving throughout the ice. The Hawks also deserve credit for sticking with their game plan after giving up a two-goal lead in the third period. Despite giving up a bad goal on the equalizer in the third, Mrazek had another strong game as he stopped several point-blank chances. The Blackhawks begin a four-game road trip out west on Monday night in Vancouver. Puck drop is at 9:00 PM CST on NBCSCH+ and 720 WGN Radio.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks edge Islanders, 4-3 in overtime appeared first on The Rink.

— After a scoreless first period, the Islanders struck first at the 8:58 mark of the second period to take a 1–0 lead. Following a call for video review from Toronto, it was determined that Matt Martin’s shot from in close went past Hawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom and crossed the goal line for his third tally of the season.

— At 14:31, the Islanders took a 2–0 lead when Zach Parise tipped in his eighth of the season off an Adam Pelech shot from the right circle.

— The Islanders made it 3–0 just 43 seconds later off the rush when Brock Nelson one-timed his 12th of the season off an Anthony Beauvillier feed.

— The Hawks generated few quality scoring chances and were outshot 40–21 for the game. Half of the Islanders shots on goal came in the second period, where the Isles scored all three of their goals.

The Blackhawks’ road trip concludes on Tuesday night when they visit the Metropolitan Division-leading New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center. Puck drop is 6 p.m. CST.

The post Blackhawks Post-game One-Timers — Dec. 4 vs. New York Islanders appeared first on The Rink.

— The game got off to the rough start for the home team nearly three minutes in when Islanders forward Casey Cizikas plowed into Hawks goaltender Alex Stalock after a save just outside his crease. Stalock was down, and after a review, Cizikas was given a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct. Stalock left the game and would not return. The Hawks came up empty during the five-minute power play.

— Anders Lee opened the scoring late in the first period on the power play, as he poked in a rebound for his fifth of the young season to give the Isles a 1–0 lead after one.

— After a scoreless second period, the Islanders doubled their lead to 2–0 on a nasty wrist shot from the left circle by Brock Nelson for his fourth of the season at the 7:23 mark of the third.

— At 10:19 of the third, Jonathan Toews cut the deficit to 2–1 when he deflected his sixth of the season on the power play.

— Zach Parise put this one away with an empty-net tally for his fourth of the season with 13.1 seconds remaining to give the Islanders a 3–1 lead.

— Off the ice, the Blackhawks made noticeable efforts to recognize the beginning of Native American Heritage Month, which is great to see. On the ice, Stalock and Petr Mrazek have specially designed Native American Heritage Masks to wear throughout the month, designed by artists Patrick Hunter (Ojibwe) and Nicole Banditgrey (Potawatomi).

The Blackhawks return to the ice at the United Center on Thursday to face the Los Angeles Kings with a puck drop at 7:30 p.m. CDT.

The post Blackhawks Post-game One-timers — Nov. 1 vs. New York Islanders appeared first on The Rink.

King has his team playing with confidence and playing a more structured game in their own defensive zone, a huge change from what Blackhawks fans saw early in the season. The kicker? King has not come in and made a huge adjustment. His players are playing responsibly in their own zone (especially the forwards) and have been a tough team to play against in the neutral zone. Mix in the fact that the team does not look shaken after a goal, King has been a breath of fresh air for the Blackhawks.

If there was any time for the Blackhawks to look shook, it would have been Sunday, as Islander defenseman Noah Dobson scored the game-tying goal with less than three seconds left to tie the contest at 2–2. Fleury had no chance with a great screen in front, and the Blackhawks of the early season most certainly would have looked like deer in headlights, but not Sunday.

In overtime, neither team generated many chances, as the Islanders controlled much of the play, but could not muster a shot in the first four minutes of action. At the end of the uneventful five minutes, Chicago bested the home team in the shootout.

Patrick Kane beat Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov with his patented “slowdown” move and backed Varlamov deep into his net that left the top shelf wide open for the future Hockey Hall of Famer, and Kane buried the puck in the back of the net for what would be the only goal scored in the shootout to give the visitors a 3–2 victory.

THAT’S HOCKEY BABY pic.twitter.com/mXXdI8M10O

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 6, 2021

Chicago took an early lead, scoring the only goal of the opening period when a shot from the left circle from Alex DeBrincat caromed off Brandon Hagel’s shin pad and found its way behind Varlamov for the former sixth-round draft pick’s eighth goal of the season.

Hagel’s power play goal was matched in the middle of the second period when forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau buried his second of the season behind Fleury after defenseman Riley Stillman was sent off for roughing. Pageau’s redirect on a point shot left nothing that Fleury could do.

Chicago would retake the lead 2–1 when forward Dylan Strome beat Varlamov after a loose puck found itself on Strome’s stick, and the forward buried his second goal of the season. The goal was set up after a nice rush from defenseman Erik Gustafsson through the neutral zone into the offensive zone.

DYLAN STROME MAKES IT 2-1 pic.twitter.com/Airj39kUll

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 6, 2021

The goal stood as the difference until Dobson’s last-second goal sent the game into overtime.

Fleury’s victory gave the Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, native his 499th career victory.

Analysis

Kirby Dach did not find his way onto the scoresheet, but he was in front on a few separate occasions and did have an excellent chance to bury a shot in front, but could not beat Varlamov.

Fleury did not see a ton of action, as the stingy Blackhawks defense would only give up 24 shots to the Islanders.

Chicago keeps winning under King. With the victory, Chicago has proven they can win on most nights when they play with confidence.

The Blackhawks return to action on Tuesday, hosting the New York Rangers for a 7:30 p.m. CST puck drop at the United Center.

The post Hagel and Strome pace Blackhawks to 3–2 shootout win over Islanders appeared first on The Rink.

The United Center crowd enjoyed the introductions of their current team for the home opener. Captain Jonathan Toews’ video telling fans not to take things for granted (a great lesson for anyone) and how excited he was to be back playing in Chicago this season was met with the loudest eruption of the night from fans.

Head Coach Jeremy Colliton did not receive such a warm welcome.

Yikes. pic.twitter.com/Aj3vkgN7KF

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) October 20, 2021

Chicago started the contest with a noticeable speed on the forecheck that had not been prevalent in the first three games this season. At one point, the Blackhawks were outshooting the New York Islanders by double digits and finished the period with an 18–9 advantage in shots. Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin was a wall behind the surprisingly leaky Islanders defense. The Blackhawks could have easily been ahead in the game, but could not figure out Sorokin.

Forward Alex DeBrincat had a few nice chances early and just missed a redirect that would have been a highlight-reel goal. DeBrincat has been known to pick pucks out of mid-air and find the back of the net, but the Farmington Hills, Michigan, native would have no luck this time. The saucer pass from Henrik Borgstrom was one of the only few positives you could take away from Borgstrom’s night.

The Islanders buckled down midway through the second period and found themselves on the scoresheet first. Anthony Beauvillier took advantage of a loose puck at the side of the net and beat Marc-Andre Fleury five hole on a freaky-type goal in the front of the net after a poor decision by Erik Gustafsson to leave the front of the net unattended. A well-coached team like the Islanders did not make many mistakes the rest of the game.

Back to Borgstrom, his terrible pass in the first minute of the third period looked like a youth-level teaching point that coaches all over North America could show to their respective teams on what not to do at your own blue line. Oliver Wahlstrom beat Fleury five hole again on another change up-type goal. Down by two, Chicago looked lost for the next 10 minutes and never recovered from the early third period goal.

Before you knew it, Chicago was down 4–0 and the seats began to empty. MacKenzie Entwistle scored at the 19:34 mark, but only about 5,000 fans were there to see it. Chicago received an alarming send off as they entered the locker room after a 4–1 loss.

The remaining fans boo the team off the ice. Rough times for the Blackhawks. pic.twitter.com/mwFSnDe3Rb

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) October 20, 2021

Analysis

The good

The Blackhawks did a wonderful job of celebrating the life of Tony Esposito, who passed away this summer. Chris Chelios gave the “eulogy” and explained Mr. Esposito would not want a moment of silence, but rather a chant of “Tony, Tony” from the crowd, and the Blackhawks faithful did not disappoint.

The UC crowd honoring Tony O the only way we know how pic.twitter.com/n9IlPYPlW1

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 20, 2021

The home team did make a noticeable effort to play better early in the game. Being prepared to play a hockey game at the professional level should not be something to get excited about, but when Chicago has been so bad so early, let’s turn this into a positive.

DeBrincat played an exciting game and had prime opportunities to score. The shifty winger is the type that can score in bunches. His shorthanded breakaway attempt was less than stellar, but watch out if he gets his confidence going.

Kirby Dach played well and continues to show he can be effective all over the ice.

Entwistle scored late, and it was great to see him rewarded for his efforts.

Sorokin was lights out for the Islanders. He kept Chicago off the scoresheet early in the first, and when the Islanders started boxing out the front of the net, the home team never really had a chance. A nice 39-save effort fell short of his fourth career shutout by a handful of seconds due to Entwistle’s last-minute tally.

The bad

The Chicago crowd let their true feelings be known for Colliton and after the game. It has been a long time since the Blackhawks have been booed off their home ice. There is a mounting pressure on Colliton to get this ship turned around.

Borgstrom’s turnover and his overall defensive liability on the ice is evident. He could not corral a loose puck behind the net on the first goal (maybe nitpicking here, but when you are winless, these things mount), and the aforementioned bonehead cross-ice pass at his own blue line to give the Islanders their second goal, one could only wonder how bad Dylan Strome has been in practice.

Mike Hardman took a hit along the boards from Matt Martin that clearly wobbled Hardman, as he went to the bench and into the locker room. You hate to see this happen to anyone. All the best to Hardman and a healthy, quick return.

The post Booed off the ice, Blackhawks lose 4–1 to Islanders in home opener appeared first on The Rink.

However, the holidays went too quickly. The Brent Seabrook/Calvin de Haan/Brandon Saad news on Thursday put a bit of a damper on Friday’s contest. The lines made the feeling no better:

#Blackhawks lineup vs. Islanders:
Kubalik-Toews-Quenneville
DeBrincat-Dach-Strome
Nylander-Carpenter-Kane
Smith-Kampf-Highmore

Keith-Gustafsson
Koekkoek-Murphy
Maatta-Gilbert

Lehner
Crawford

*Sikura and Boqvist (shoulder) and are the scratches.

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 28, 2019

Adam Boqvist was also sitting out Friday’s tilt, so Slater Koekkoek drew in for the young Swede. Robin Lehner also took the net against his former team.

Plenty of love for Lehner on the Island. Islanders fans lined up to show love for their former goaltender on Friday night. Photo: Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images

Despite how it looked before the game, the Hawks came out as the better team, pressuring the Islanders up and down the ice.

Although the visitors opened the game’s scoring, the home team was the dominant team in the opening frame. Three first period goals from Dennis Gilbert, Dominik Kubalik and Alex DeBrincat gave the Hawks a two goal cushion at the end of the opening frame.

Gilbert’s first career goal was a product of great cycling by the Strome line. Gilbert found himself in the low slot when Dylan Strome found him for the home team’s first goal.

That is career goal #1 for Dennis Gilbert!

He ties this game up 1-1 midway through the 1st: https://t.co/qdFbPJSbTJ pic.twitter.com/xxsbF1gy74

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) December 28, 2019

Kubalik’s marker was an impressive play between Kubalik and Kane, who was the first member of the Carpenter line on the ice during a change. Kubalik gave the puck to Kane, who quickly returned the puck to the Czech winger for a one-time opportunity. Although he didn’t get everything on it, Kubalik’s changeup found the twine behind Thomas Greiss.

And just like that… the #Blackhawks lead 2-1! pic.twitter.com/lUSqVtbLyu

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) December 28, 2019

DeBrincat’s tally was the “prettiest” of the opening period goals. Strome once again set up his favorite teammate for an excellent opportunity in the high slot. DeBrincat wired a perfect shot, top shelf, to beat Greiss and ultimately chase him from the game.

The Cat keeps em' coming!

This is fun: https://t.co/qdFbPJSbTJ pic.twitter.com/8t1vfQSUwE

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) December 28, 2019

The Dach-Strome-DeBrincat line was the best line in the first period. Although the Toews line was solid in the opening frame, the Strome line consistently dominated puck possession. They were continually able to cycle the puck and provided two of the three goals in the first. 

Despite the quiet middle frame for both teams, the third period yielded some excitement. In the first minute of the final frame, Jonathan Toews scored to give the Hawks a three goal lead. Not too long after, Matthew Highmore scored his first of the season to extend the Hawks’ lead to four goals. 

Toews looked like his classic self on the opening tally in the third period. While skating down the right wing boards, Toews slightly changed his angle on Seymon Varlamov and beat him over the goalie’s right pad. 

The Captain doing it all himself! #Blackhawks take a 4-1 lead in the 3rd: https://t.co/qdFbPJSbTJ pic.twitter.com/seymMuNetC

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) December 28, 2019

Highmore made the “smart play” and threw the puck toward the net from the corner with Zack Smith out in front. The puck bounced off an Islanders defender and found the back of the net. Smith knew it right away, as he pointed at Highmore when the puck trickled into the net behind Varlamov.

Highmore of that please, Matthew!

Watch the rest of tonight's matchup live on the #MyTeams App: https://t.co/mfQ1ZBC5v2 pic.twitter.com/Is3Y3Kyj48

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 28, 2019

Although the Islanders scored late, it didn’t matter as the Hawks captured the 5–2 win over the Islanders. 

Along the boards

The kid shines

One of the best players on the ice in this game, based on the eye test, was Dennis Gilbert. He was all over the ice, making his presence felt in the physical game, as well as blocking shots. He was excellent, even gaining a little high five and pat on the butt from Robin Lehner after arguably Gilbert’s most important block of the game.

Dennis Gilbert is out there making plays tonight pic.twitter.com/VEGCkhI56d

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) December 28, 2019

WHAT. A. BLOCK by Gilbert!!!

— Ron Luce (@LuceOnTap) December 28, 2019

Watching Gilbert step up was refreshing. With all the injuries this Blackhawks team is facing right now, seeing Gilbert be able to play a big role is a positive sign for this team going forward. Perhaps in the future Gilbert cements himself as a bottom pairing defenseman who can kill penalties. That type of defenseman will be critical down the road when the offensive minded Adam Boqvist and Ian Mitchell are roaming the ice.

All hail King Lehner

Another day, another sensational performance from the Hawks’ net-minder. He has continually been the best player for the Blackhawks all season and, if every team had an MVP award for the first half of the season, Lehner would take the cake. Against his former team, who let him walk in favor of Semyon Varlamov, Lehner stepped up and ensured the Blackhawks beat the organization that Lehner helped lead to the playoffs last season. Lehner admitted in his always colorful interviews that he respected the guys on the other side of the ice, but enjoyed beating his former team.

Our @NickGismondi talked with @RobinLehner after being recognized as the 1st for his awesome 38-save performance pic.twitter.com/y4GQGEZxsN

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) December 28, 2019

The big deadline for the Blackhawks is the turn of the new year. Once we ring in 2020 in about five days, the Blackhawks can extend Robin Lehner. The Blackhawks’ new year’s resolution should be to establish a long-term plan in net, and they can do just that by extending Lehner in about a week. Be smart Stan, do something right and extend Lehner.

Captain Dach?

Kirby Dach had a very nice game playing alongside Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat on what was tabbed the “third line” on Friday night. Playing the wing allowed Dach to play a little more freely, and it benefitted the young center, despite not registering a point on the score sheet.

One notable play Dach made was on the Gilbert goal. He was able to take the puck behind the net, and dish to Duncan Keith at the point. Keith then set up Strome for the pass to Gilbert. The play was impressive because it looked so effortless. He did a lot of little things right; crashed the net on transition plays, led transitions into the offensive zone, and helped orchestrate the second power play unit.

On top of all those things, he had the presence of mind to pick up Gilbert’s puck after he scored his first career goal, which is the second time he’s done that this season (see Boqvist’s first goal). Maybe he’s the next captain?

Make him Captain https://t.co/f3ufCL2l42

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) December 28, 2019

The Blackhawks return to action on Sunday for a late afternoon matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets in Columbus, Ohio. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. CST.

The post Along the boards: Blackhawks strike early and often, down Islanders 5–2 appeared first on The Rink.