In addition to Korchinski being added to the lineup, head coach Jeff Blashill announced that Anton Frondell would be moving to center for this game. Frondell had been on the wing since joining the Hawks. Frondell moved down to the second line while Nick Lardis got bumped up to the top line with Connor Bedard.

Blackhawks lines in warmups at Devils:

Greene-Bedard-Lardis
Bertuzzi-Frondell-Mikheyev
Donato-Nazar-Burakovsky
Teravainen-Boisvert-Slaggert

Vlasic-Crevier
Kaiser-Rinzel
Korchinski-Del Mastro

Knight

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) March 29, 2026

Rockford IceHogs play-by-play man Dana Grey pointed out that every defenseman playing spent time in Rockford.

First period

The second line for the Hawks was all over New Jersey earlier in the period. Frondell capitalized on a Jake Allen miscue and fed Ilya Mikheyev to give Chicago the lead.

Anton Frondell picks up his 3rd career NHL assist and Ilya Mikheyev scores his 15th goal of the season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/kgCh49gQqm

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 29, 2026

The Devils answered right back with a power-play goal from Connor Brown.

Frank Nazar put the Blackhawks back on top with his 13 goal of season.

What a pass by Ryan Donato to Frank Nazar, who scores his 13th goal of the season.

Nazar now has 13 points in his last 14 games. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/NcAlS1l4Nq

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 29, 2026

Nazar recorded a team-high five shots on goal in the first period and was very noticeable in the offensive zone.

The Hawks’ lead was 2-1 after one.

Second period

Spencer Knight was not on his A game against Philadelphia the other night, but in the second period, Knight was really good. He stopped an A+ chance from Timo Meier.

Simon Nemec scored to tie the game later in the period. On the Nemec goal, Wyatt Kaiser screened his own goalie.

Third period

Momentum was in favor of the Blackhawks early in the third period. Nazar scored his second goal of the game just past the midway point on a two-man advantage.

Frank Nazar rips one home on the 5-on-3 power play for his 2nd goal of the game and 14th of the season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/wE7Piiub3F

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 30, 2026

Nazar’s goal was set up by a slick pass from Bedard. After the Nazar goal, the game shifted on a dime, as the Devils scored three unanswered goals. Dougie Hamilton beat Knight glove side for his 11th goal of the year. Jack Hughes blew past Alex Vlasic for another goal and capped off the game with an empty-netter.

The final score was 5-3 in favor of the Devils.

Analysis

Despite the implosion in the third period, there were positives to this game. Nazar recorded the first multi-goal game of his career. Frondell recorded the first multi-point game of his career with two assists. Lastly, Bedard set his new career high in points with 68. Lardis, despite not showing up on the stat sheet, also had a good game.

While the offense garnered its fair share of positives, the defense was atrocious. The Hawks’ inexperience and lack of gap control was on full display. In addition to the lack of gap control, this team still gives up way too many shots, as Knight faced 39 shots. That was the second lowest amount of shots faced on this road trip. The Hawks have to do a better job of preventing and blocking shots.

If Chicago wants to run out the baby defense next season, this team has to be better at blocking shots and gap control. If these issues are not worked on all offseason, the Hawks are poised for another non-playoff season.

The Blackhawks’ next game is Tuesday against Jonathan Toews and the Winnipeg Jets.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks implode against Devils appeared first on The Rink.

First period

With the Hawks on a 5-on-3 power play, Connor Bedard scored his 10th goal of the season. The Hawks moved the puck quickly and ultimately created a 3-on-1 down low that put Markstrom way out of position. Teuvo Teravainen found Bedard, who snapped it into a wide-open net at 18:35 to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead, which they took to the locker room after 20 minutes.

hey siri could you play Chelsea Dagger pls pic.twitter.com/ZAJRAi9eBl

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 13, 2025

Second period

The Devils tied it with 14.3 seconds left in the period when Simon Nemec joined a Devils rush up the ice and whipped a backhand shot from the slot past Knight to tie it at 1-1 after two periods. Despite the goal, Knight was fantastic, having stopped Jack Hughes on two separate breakaways and making several other point-blank saves. Through 40 minutes, Knight stopped 23 of 24 shots.

Third period

The Hawks took a 2-1 lead when Landon Slaggert, who was just called up from Rockford, deflected a point shot from Louis Crevier. For Slaggert, it was his first of the season at the 3:05 mark.

back and better than ever pic.twitter.com/tdOit7WwyS

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 13, 2025

New Jersey tied it at 2-2 when Dawson Mercer buried a one-timer for his ninth of the season. The Devils entered the zone on a rush but a shot attempt was stopped by Knight, however, the Devils retrieved the puck and Hughes found Mercer with a cross-ice pass that found the back of the net at 10:13.

Sam Lafferty gave the Hawks their third lead of the game with his first of the season. Lafferty skated in along the left wing boards and showed some skill by avoiding an oncoming Luke Hughes and making a slick move across the goalmouth to create a wide-open net where he buried the puck to give the Hawks a 3-2 lead at 13:34.

a Sam Lafferty Chicago Blackhawks goal pic.twitter.com/znI5CunJQ3

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 13, 2025

The lead would not last long, as the Devils tied it at 3-3 when Nemec scored his second of the game and third of the season at 16:14. Jack Hughes sent a cross-ice feed to Stefan Noesen, who sent it cross ice to Nemec, who finished. The two teams finished regulation tied 3-3 as they headed to overtime.

Overtime

Nemec completed the hat trick when Markstrom executed a stretch pass, and he fired a wrist shot from the right circle and over the Knight’s glove to win it 4-3 at 3:26 of overtime.

Analysis

Despite a slow start, the Hawks found their legs toward the late stages of the first and were able to grab the lead three times but could not finish the game. Knight was clearly the best player on the ice with several grade-A saves, but Nemec had his number and was the difference in the game. While the result was disappointing, the young Blackhawks, who played without two of their top scorers, proved they could compete with one of the best teams in the NHL.

The Blackhawks return to the ice on Saturday night when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Puck drop is at 6 p.m. CST on CHSN with the radio call on 720 WGN.

The post RECAP: Devils outlast Hawks 4-3 in OT appeared first on The Rink.

First period

The Devils jumped out to a 1–0 lead on Nathan Bastian’s fourth of the season. Luke Hughes found Bastian alone in front of the net for the tap-in at 6:23.

New Jersey took a 2–0 just 27 seconds later on a power-play goal by Timo Meier. With Pat Maroon in the box for high-sticking, the Devils scored just five seconds into the power play as Dawson Mercer drove to the net and Meier tapped in his 23rd of the season.

The Hawks cut the deficit to 2–1 when Tyler Bertuzzi scored his 20th of the season. Artyom Levshunov made a diving save to keep the puck in the offensive zone and Ryan Donato lifted Mercer’s stick to retrieve the puck at the half boards. Donato then fed it to Bertuzzi in front of the net for the tap-in goal at 9:06. The Hawks trailed by one after 20 minutes.

Second period

The Devils took a 3–1 lead on a shorthanded goal by Ondrej Palat. The Hawks committed multiple turnovers with the man advantage, including a Maroon turnover that was taken the other way by Jesper Bratt, who skated to the left of Knight and dropped a pass to Palat, who snapped a wrist shot over Knight’s glove for his 14th of the season at 3:14.

The Hawks cut it to 3–2 on Ilya Mikheyev’s 17th of the season. Teuvo Teravainen fed Mikheyev, who flipped the puck in at 5:26.

The Hawks appeared to have tied it but Donato’s tip-in goal was reversed when instant replay ruled it was deflected in by a high stick.

With the Devils on a power play, Mercer fired a wrist shot past Knight for his 16th of the season at the 11:01 mark. The Devils led 4–2 after two periods.

Third period

Blackhawks interim head coach Anders Sorensen pulled his goaltender for the extra skater and they cashed in. Frank Nazar scored his seventh of the season at 17:10. Levshunov fired a shot from the point that was deflected by Donato and stopped by Markstrom, but Nazar poked in the rebound to cut the deficit to 4–3.

With 12.5 seconds left and the Hawks’ net empty, Stefan Noesen put this one away with his 20th of the season. Nico Hischier sprung Noesen loose and he went in alone and scored into the empty net to make it 5–3 before time eventually expired.

Analysis

The Blackhawks spent most of this game playing catch-up and they nearly tied it on two occasions — in the second period when the would-be tying goal was reversed by replay because of a high stick and a late third period push when they Hawks made it 4–3 with less than three minutes left. It was a rough start for Knight, who was shaky, allowing four goals on just 19 shots. On the positive side, Levshunov had two assists for his first multi-point game of his career, and would have had three had Donato’s tally counted.

The Blackhawks return to the United Center on Friday night when they host the Vegas Golden Knights. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. CDT on CHSN with the radio call on 720 AM WGN.

The post RECAP: Devils drop Hawks 5–3 at United Center appeared first on The Rink.

In addition to Nazar making his season debut, Drew Commesso made his first NHL start. The former second-round pick was recalled on Dec. 8. While this was his first start of the season, Commesso made his NHL debut earlier in the week in relief.

Despite the additions from Rockford, the Hawks scored early and then crumbled late to lose 4–1 to the Devils.

First period

Commesso turned away all nine shots has faced, while the Blackhawks only mustered two shots of their own. Commesso was tested early and forced to cover up for some egregious defense zone turnovers. The first period ended with the score knotted at 0–0.

Second period

Jason Dickinson scored the Blackhawks’ lone goal of the game in the second period in unique fashion.

Jason Dickinson scores his 6th goal of the season after his shot goes off the post then off Luke Hughes’ face and in #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/HsvztDALhi

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 14, 2024

Commesso stopped eight shots to maintain the lead, including one late that could classify as highway robbery.

What a glove save by Drew Commesso, the best of his NHL career so far. Beauty. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/m9Y4L29DSZ

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 14, 2024

The period ended with Hawks up 1–0.

Third period

The Blackhawks’ formula this season has been score early and fail late. Sadly, this game was no different. In the third period, the Devils pumped in four goals past Commesso to win 4–1, though Commesso was hardly to blame in what was overall a solid showing. The Devils got goals from Dawson Mercer, Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and Timo Meier.

With the loss, the Hawks have now dropped seven of their last eight games. The team has only one win since firing Luke Richardson and replacing him with Anders Sorensen.

Analysis

With the future hopefully bright, the present remains very dark. The Hawks once against gave up a volley of goals in the third period to lose another winnable game. The Blackhawks’ anemic offense remains a problem. The Hawks have scored more than two goals just once in their last six games. For the season, the Hawks are averaging 2.40 goals per game while league average is 3.04 goals per game. The team cannot count on their young goalie tandem to steal games for them.

The Hawks were hoping to ignite their offense with the call-up of Nazar. Nazar earned the call-up after dominating the AHL this season. Nazar currently ranks eighth in the AHL in points. In his NHL season debut, Nazar had 17 shifts for 14:01 minutes of ice time. He recorded one shot and took one penalty for the game. Nazar figures to be a big part of the Blackhawks.

In addition to Nazar being a big part of the future, the Hawks are hoping that Commesso progresses to be one of their goalies of the future. Commesso was pressed into NHL duty this season after injuries at the goalie position. While the outcome was not what he wanted, there were positive signs that should give Blackhawks fans hope for the future.

The Hawks return to action to take on the New York Islanders in a Sunday matinee at the United Center at 2 p.m. CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks waste strong start from Commesso, lose 4–1 to New Jersey appeared first on The Rink.

MacKinnon is absolutely furious, kicking things on the bench as he leaves.

Don’t blame him honestly. That’s a rough loss #GoAvsGo https://t.co/ZEIdC5pa2h

— x – Mile High Hockey (@MileHighHockey) February 7, 2024

Takeaways

— Throughout a lot of tonight’s game the Avalanche’s skates seemed full of concrete. Not only the defensive core, but most of the players struggled to keep their feet moving. Did the long break contribute to it, or the fact they played last night? Only the players will know. Whatever the reason, it created problems, giving the Devils more opportunities than they needed.

Devils doing a great job contesting absolutely everything and the Avs are struggling to get good looks because of it.

A glacial pace power play isn't ideal either #GoAvsGo

— x – Locked on Avalanche (@LOPN_Avalanche) February 7, 2024

— Winning faceoffs was an enormous problem for the Avalanche. When you only win 35 percent of the face offs, you cannot hope to win a game. Face off wins create puck possession. Not winning the puck draw gives your opposition an advantage. An advantage the Avalanche did not need to give the Devils tonight.

Cale Makar picks up the loose puck and sneaks it past Vanecek, trimming Colorado's deficit down to 1!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/0NrGVbllZ8

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) February 7, 2024

— There were stand out players. Samuel Girard, Josh Manson, Artturi Lehkonen. The second line of Logan O’Connor, Ross Colton and Miles Wood again made their presence felt. Zach Parise did his part in only his second game with the Avalanche.

Lehky's hit Cale's goal #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/BI9PycwpFN

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 7, 2024

Well how do you doooo! Sammy G with a bombbbb

— Katie Gaus (@katie_gaus) February 7, 2024

— Whilst Justus Annunen was tighter in net than in his previous NHL start, it is clear to say the Avalanche have a back up goaltender problem. Annunen let in five of 31 shots. We cannot blame a lack of defensive support for all of them.

Sam Girard winds up and hammers one home for Colorado's second goal in 28 seconds, 3-3 game!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/jyU35kuhEJ

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) February 7, 2024

Conclusion

The Avalanche’s playoff hopes hinge on certain players improving their game. The defensive game is still lacking. Other players must step up for the Avalanche when the top line is shut down. Depending on only Alexandar Georgiev, in net is unfeasible. The back up goaltender situation needs to be addressed. With a day off to regroup the Avalanche next face the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday That won’t be an easy match.

The post Devils out skate the Avalanche to win 5–3 appeared first on The Rink.

Soderblom was sharp early as the Devils peppered him with shots throughout the first period. The Blackhawks also played about half the period without Bedard, who took a clean hit from Brendan Smith to the chest and the follow through clipped him in the mouth. Bedard headed to the room and would not return for the rest of the game.

The Hawks got on the board first on the power play when Jason Dickinson snapped a wrist shot from the right circle under the arm of Vanecek. For Dickinson, it was his 13th goal of the season at 15:04 of the opening frame. A physical first period ended with the Hawks leading the Devils 1–0, but New Jersey outshot Chicago 13–11.

that wrist shot pic.twitter.com/UcT3HqNAch

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 6, 2024

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

In the second period, while the physical play continued, Alexander Holtz tied it with his ninth of the season. After the Hawks failed to clear the zone, Simon Nemec found Holtz alone in the right wing circle and he fired the puck into an open net to tie the game at 1–1 at 10:07.

With 1:36 left in the second and the Devils on their fifth power play, Boris Katchouk picked off a pass in the neutral zone, skated into the Devils’ zone and snapped a wrist shot past Vanecek to give Chicago a 2–1 lead, following it up with a boisterous celebration for the Devils’ fans. For Katchouk, it was his third goal of the season to give the Hawks a one goal lead after two periods.

A SHORTY FOR BORIS pic.twitter.com/zDJ9g19KZp

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 6, 2024

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

The Devils tied it at 2–2 when Nemec ripped a wrist shot over the right shoulder of Soderblom, who had lost his net. For the 19-year-old defenseman, the goal was his second of the season at 5:41 of the third.

Michael McLeod gave the Devils their first lead of the game at 3–2 with his 10th of the season. The Devils retrieved the puck from their zone and rushed up the ice. Curtis Lazar found McLeod driving toward the net and he deflected the pass into the net at 11:56 of the third.

Tyler Toffoli finished off the Hawks by scoring his 16th of the season into the empty net on a shot from center ice. The Hawks fell 4–2 in New Jersey to complete the road trip.

Analysis

Following the hit on Bedard that knocked him out of the game, the Blackhawks knew that scoring goals would become an even bigger challenge. Instead, they went toe to toe with the more talented Devils and the got chippy over the final 50 minutes. While the Hawks held the lead in the third period, they were not able to increase their lead. A bad goal given up by Soderblom followed by the go-ahead score by McLeod, who outworked Nikita Zaitsev, and that was all she wrote. In addition to Bedard, Nick Foligno was not on the Hawks’ bench for the third period due to an undisclosed injury following his fight with Smith in the second frame.

The Blackhawks return to United Center for a Sunday matinee against the Calgary Flames. Puck drop is at 2 p.m. CST on NBCSCH with the radio call on AM 720 WGN.

The post RECAP: Devils drop Blackhawks 4–2, Bedard leaves game after clean hit appeared first on The Rink.

The Blackhawks rolled out the following lines:

#Blackhawks lineup vs. Devils:
Foligno-Bedard-Kurashev
Reichel-Athanasiou-Raddysh
Hall-Dickinson-T. Johnson
Donato-Entwistle-Perry

Korchinski-Jones
Vlasic-Murphy
Kaiser-Zaitsev

Söderblom
Mrazek

Extras: Katchouk, R. Johnson, Tinordi

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) November 5, 2023

The Hawks welcomed back to the lineup Alex Vlasic. Vlasic had been out since Oct. 27 after receiving a blindside hit.

The Blackhawks got the scoring started early. Tyler Johnson fired a shot from near the left circle, the rebound from Vitek Vanecek went right to Taylor Hall. Hall buried the chance for the first goal of the game and the second of his Blackhawks tenure.

Taylor Hall scores 1:51 into the game for his second goal of the season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/EQ4ZsgQI5o

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) November 6, 2023

After the Hawks carried the play in the first period, the vaunted Devils power play got New Jersey on the board. Dawson Mercer beat Arvid Soderblom to the high glove side. Soderblom went down early anticipating the jam play and Mercer went high instead for the goal.

With less than six minutes left in the period, Kevin Korchinski whiffed on a puck at the blue line, leaving Max Willman with a breakaway against Soderblom. Willman beat Soderblom for the go-ahead goal.

Despite the Korchinski miscue, the Hawks had another great chance to even up the game late in the period. Jason Dickinson bull rushed through Luke Hughes and got the puck. He fed the pass over to Johnson. Johnson, who had to go backhand to the forehand, was absolutely robbed by Vanecek to keep the Devils in the lead.

What a diving save by Vanecek! pic.twitter.com/ie3GfeKN57

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) November 6, 2023

The first period ended with the Devils up 2–1.

The second period began with a New Jersey onslaught in which Soderblom had to make three saves on Timo Meier and four saves overall. The period was dominated by the Devils, who spent most of the period in the Hawks’ zone. Soderblom was under siege for most of the period, fending off 16 shots on net while the Hawks were only able to muster nine of their own.

The third period started just as the second period ended, with the Devils getting several shots on the Hawks’ net. With less than five minutes gone by in the third period, New Jersey was able to break through against Soderblom. Curtis Lazar got the Devils third goal of the game to give the Devils a 3–1 lead.

Late in third period, the Blackhawks got a jump from Ryan Donato. Donato fired a shot that was blocked by Vanecek, but Donato sent the rebound home to cut the Devils’ lead to one at 3–2. It was Donato’s third goal of the season.

DONATO

we’re within one pic.twitter.com/ewHLaowsBU

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 6, 2023

The Hawks pulled Soderblom with 2:38 left in the game. Immediately after the Soderblom to the bench, Tyler Toffoli appeared to have put the nail in the coffin, but after a challenge from the Hawks, it was ruled to be offside and no goal.

The Hawks then got a great chance in which Connor Bedard fed Philipp Kurashev. Kurashev hit the goalie and the post. Michael McLeod cemented the New Jersey victory with an empty-net goal with under a second left, as the Blackhawks fell to the Devils 4–2.

Analysis

The Blackhawks are young on defense with Korchinski, Vlasic and Wyatt Kaiser. The team is going to experience some growing pains; they key is that the players are learning from their mistakes and working to improve on them. Korchinski’s gaffe at the blue line altered the course of the game. In addition to that miscue, Korchinski seems to be pinching in the offensive zone at the exact wrong moments.

Kurashev, since returning from injury, has been a welcome addition and appears to be skating well with Bedard.

Overall, the Hawks got beat by a better team that was able to weather their late-game rush.

The Blackhawks’ next game is on the road against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. CST.

The post Blackhawks Post-game One-timers — Nov. 5 vs. New Jersey Devils appeared first on The Rink.

— Jonathan Toews made his return to the lineup, after missing from the lineup since Jan. 28 due to symptoms of long COVID. He tallied an assist in what may be one of his final NHL games, with him likely contemplating retirement at the end of the season.

— After no scoring in the first period, both teams unleashed in the second. The Devils struck first on a Dougie Hamilton shot from just outside the circles, with the Blackhawks countering just over a minute later with a Tyler Johnson goal from right out in front of the net. Andreas Athanasiou would take a wrister that went off of Lukas Reichel to give the Blackhawks their first lead of the game later on in the period.

— The Devils would respond in short order to finish out the second. Timo Meier skated in with a wraparound try that sent the rebound right out to Erik Haula, who burried it past Alex Stalock to tie things up at 2–2. Jesper Boqvist then out-waited Stalock to put the Devils back in front.

— In the third, Ryan Graves took the puck from up high and backhanded it past Stalock on a beautiful move to put the Devils up 4–2. Then, Athanasiou again would help the Blackhawks attempt to claw back in on a shot-pass from Toews. A wraparound goal from Meier, along with a Dawson Mercer tally, would put this one far out of reach, giving the Devils the 6–3 victory.

With six games left on their schedule, can the Blackhawks successfully lose out, giving them the best opportunity to gain the first overall pick in the upcoming draft? Tune in next on Tuesday at 8 p.m. CDT on NBC Sports Chicago to find out!

The post Blackhawks Post-game One-timers — April 1 vs. New Jersey Devils appeared first on The Rink.

— At 11:27 of the first, Jack Hughes performed some slick stickhandling in the left circle then fired a cross-ice feed to Dougie Hamilton, who one-timed his seventh of the season past Arvid Soderblom to give the Devils a 1–0 lead.

— After one, the Hawks trailed 1–0 thanks to Devils goaltender Vitek Vanecek, who stopped all 13 shots he faced including some high-quality chances. On the other side, Soderblom stopped nine of 10 shots in the first 20 minutes.

— The Devils took a 2–0 lead at 5:30 of the second period when team captain Nico Hischier scored his 11th of the season off a one-timer from the left point.

— Jesper Bratt one-timed his 10th of the season on the power play off a cross-ice feed from Hughes at 14:58. The Devils would take a 3–0 lead into the locker room after 40 minutes.

— In a scoreless third, New Jersey put the defensive clamps down on the Hawks by holding them to just four shots on goal for the period. Vanecek finished with 24 saves for his second shutout of the season.

The Blackhawks return home on Friday night when they host the Winnipeg Jets. Puck drop at the United Center will be at 7:30 p.m. CST.

The post Blackhawks Post-game One-timers — Dec. 6 vs. New Jersey Devils appeared first on The Rink.

Last time there was a double hat trick for the Hawks:

– Patrick Kane was suiting up for the Buffalo Saints 14U AAA team
– Brandon Hagel was four pic.twitter.com/CZrkzEK1cZ

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 26, 2022

I know what you are thinking. The time is now to move Hagel because his value may very will be at its peak. Time and time again he is proving he can be a solid top-nine player. And, if the rumors are true that the Blackhawks are being offered a first-round pick and more, many would say to take the money and run. If the Blackhawks were ready to win, Hagel could be given a red carpet to walk on every night. Unfortunately, reality says the Blackhawks need a lot more quality assets in order to climb back to the top. While we still do not know who the Blackhawks’ general manager will be, March 21 will be here in the blink of an eye.

Overshadowed in the Blackhawks’ pair of hat tricks were other standout performances. Ryan Carpenter was credited with the game-winning goal, his second of the season. Seth Jones picked up three assists, now having 31 on the year. Kirby Dach KEPT the puck on a 2-on-1 and buried it in the back of the net for his eighth of the season on a nifty forehand-backhand power move around Devils goaltender Jon Gillies. There were a lot of names on the stat sheet for a thrilling game.

A controversy to come out of Friday’s win was what happened on Hagel’s empty-net goal. Devils defensemen P.K. Subban tripped Hagel with a slew foot as he was skating toward the net and a scuffle ensued. It should be no surprise to anyone that Subban did something to cause pushing and shoving. Hagel’s comments after the game were warranted, and Subban’s image to the everyday hockey fan is not a good one.

Hagel on PK Subban's trip: "There's a reason the guy slew-foots everyone and gets these dirty fines… I have a clear-cut breakaway. What are going to do? It's just a dirty play. It is what it is. He can do what he wants but it's not going to get him very liked around the league"

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 26, 2022

Friday night’s home victory marked their only of this month. The Blackhawks have two more, Sunday against the St. Louis Blues and Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers left on the homestand. In a season where it is hard to find many positives, you can chalk Friday up as one that reminds you of the joy of hockey and being at the rink.

The post Two Blackhawks earn hat tricks in 8–5 win over New Jersey appeared first on The Rink.

(Odds courtesy of BetRivers)

Vegas Golden Knights @ Boston Bruins -110

O/U: 5.5 -122

My pick: Vegas ML -106. The Boston Bruins find themselves shorthanded tonight as they host the Vegas Golden Knights, as forwards Brad Marchand and Craig Smith have entered COVID-19 protocol. Beside that, I like the matchup here, with Robin Lehner getting the nod for the Golden Knights. Lehner has won two of his last three starts and the team has won four of their last five. This game should be close, but I like Vegas to leave the Garden with a win.

New Jersey Devils @ Philadelphia Flyers -124

O/U: 6 -112

My pick: Devils ML +107. Despite the Philadelphia Flyers having won two in a row on the road prior to returning home tonight, I am not sold on them. I know they have changed up their head coach and a new voice can lift the team’s spirit. However, I like the New Jersey Devils here. They have already beaten the Flyers twice in their own barn. The Flyers are also going on a month without winning at home. I will take a shot on their streaky offense.

Los Angeles Kings @ Tampa Bay Lightning -200

O/U: 5.5 +107

My pick: Tampa Bay Lightning Team Total Over 3 -115. This is a pretty big line for a Los Angeles Kings team who has been playing some solid hockey in December. Jonathan Quick is still proving he can be a top goaltender in this league. His 2.04 goals against average ranks sixth in the NHL. However, his last three starts against the Tampa Bay Lightning? Twelve goals allowed. The Lightning sit ninth in the league in goals. I am going to play the track record here of Tampa Bay.

Buffalo Sabers @ Winnipeg Jets -250

O/U: 6 +102

My pick: Winnipeg -1.5 -104. The Buffalo Sabers turned some heads at the start of the year after going 5–2 to open the season. However, they then fell off a cliff. They had three wins in the entire month of November and have currently lost seven in a row. The Winnipeg Jets should cruise to victory.

Make sure to follow me on Twitter, @ThomasGibbons_3, for my bonus play at 5 p.m. CST.

Happy gambling, and remember, always ride the Tommy Train.

Basics of hockey betting Money line — Winning team Puck line — Team wins by at least two goals (-1.5 when placing a bet) Three-way line — Team wins in regulation  Over/under — Total goals scored during a game including overtime but not a shootout  Parlay — A combination of two or more bets

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The post Tommy’s Puckline Picks — Dec. 14, 2021 appeared first on The Rink.

In some late pregame announcements, Yanni Gourde was activated from injured reserve and goaltender Joey Daccord was called up from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, while goaltender Chris Driedger was put on injured reserve and Kole Lind was sent to the Checkers. Gourde made his Kraken debut just a short time later.

The #SeaKraken have made the following roster moves:

-Yanni Gourde has been activated off of IR
-Joey Daccord has been recalled from the Charlotte Checkers
-Chris Driedger has been placed on IR
-Kole Lind has been reassigned to Charlotte pic.twitter.com/758RuMlDPZ

— Seattle Kraken PR (@SeattleKrakenPR) October 19, 2021

The well-rested Devils came out of the gate ready to play in the first period, with Dawson Mercer (first NHL goal) and Damon Severson scoring a minute and a half apart and peppered Daccord, the surprise starter, with 14 shots on net, while the road-weary Kraken found themselves trying to crawl out of yet another hole, as they only had six shots on New Jersey starter Jonathan Bernier.

As the Kraken tried to wipe the sleep from their eyes at the end of a poor first period, defenseman Jeremy Lauzon attempted to send a message with a huge hit on Devils star Jack Hughes, which left Hughes on the ice clutching his left shoulder. Hughes would not return to the game with an undisclosed injury.

As a result, the physicality was turned up to 11 in the second period. Jeremy Lauzon and Ryan Donato did the five-minute dance with Mason Geertsen and Jonas Siegenthaler, respectively.

Seattle finally got on the scoreboard with a top-shelf goal on a fat Adam Larsson rebound from center Riley Sheahan, which cut the Devils’ lead to one goal. Four minutes later, though, Jimmy Vesey re-established the two-goal lead for the home team, redirecting a pass from Andreas Johnsson past Daccord. Shots were 15–13 in favor of New Jersey in the second period, as they took a 3–1 lead into the third.

ANOTHER FIRST!!!

Riley Sheahan (@rsheahan15) gets his first goal as a #SeaKraken! pic.twitter.com/AXqyIA11qg

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) October 20, 2021

The Kraken really turned up the heat in the third period, with the help of their second 5-on-3 power play of the night. Jared McCann circled high in the Devils’ zone and snapped a shot past Bernier, who was leaning to his left. This cut the lead, once again, to one goal, which carried until the final moments of regulation play. With the Kraken goaltender on the bench for the extra attacker, Pavel Zacha sent the visitors home with a 4–2 loss.

Anchor points

The Kraken had two 5-on-3 power plays on the night, but only delivered on one of them. They ended the night 1 for 5 on the power play overall.

  It was too little, too late for Seattle, outshooting New Jersey 9–4 in the third period after they were outshot 29–20 through 40 minutes.

Center Yanni Gourde made his Seattle debut, playing 22:25 and picking up his first assist as a member of the Kraken. 

 Forwards Jordan Eberle, Morgan Geekie and Jared McCann were each -3 on the night, and defenseman Mark Giordano posted a -2 on the back end. Geekie had a really rough night with a team-worst 6.6% Corsi and a 0% xGF. Adam Larsson and Jamie Oleksiak were each on the ice for 11 high-danger chances against.

  Overall, even-strength Corsi was split right down the middle. New Jersey led the first period 61% to 39%. The Kraken led both the second and third periods with 52% and 67%, respectively. 

The Kraken are off for three days in preparation for their home opener against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night at Climate Pledge Arena. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. PDT. 

The post RECAP: Devils deal Kraken third straight loss appeared first on The Rink.

First period

It did not take long for Dougie Hamilton, the Devils’ big ticket free agent addition this past offseason, to win over his teammates and the hometown crowd, as he scored just 17 seconds into the game. A turnover by Jake McCabe just inside his own blue line, forced by Pavel Zacha, eventually would get to Hamilton in the slot, who knuckled one past Kevin Lankinen to give the Devils a quick 1–0 lead. At the end of one, the Blackhawks and Devils were even in the shots on goal column at six apiece.

Second period

With 1:55 of Blackhawks power play time carried over from the opening frame, Patrick Kane made a pinpoint goal-line feed to a wide open Alex DeBrincat, who buried his first of the young season past Devils goaltender Jonathan Bernier to tie the game at the 51-second mark. On the goal, Tyler Johnson picked up his first point in a Blackhawks uniform.

The Devils regained the lead at 2–1 late in the second period on a spin-o-rama backhand shot by budding superstar Jack Hughes from the left circle that beat a screened Lankinen with just over two minutes left in the frame. The Devils outshot the Blackhawks 13–11 in the second and had a two period advantage of 19–17.

Third period

At 6:34 into the third period, seconds after MacKenzie Entwistle nearly tied it but drew iron, Andreas Johnsson gave the Devils a 3–1 lead. Tomas Tatar fed rookie Dawson Mercer in the right circle, who shot the puck which trickled behind Lankinen, who lost track of it and Johnsson won a foot race to the net with Connor Murphy and tapped it in to give the home team a two-goal cushion. Save that puck for Mercer, as he notched his first career NHL point on the play.

The Hawks cut the deficit to 3–2 on a power play goal by Kirby Dach at 16:07 on a rebound from in front while Mercer was serving a double minor for high sticking and the Hawks’ cage was empty for an extra attacker. 

Late in the third, with the desperate Blackhawks trying to get the equalizer, Seth Jones did a nice job keeping the puck in the Devils’ zone and found Brandon Hagel in the slot, who made a nice feed to Dominik Kubalik, who one-timed it past Bernier to tie the game at 3–3 with 25.5 seconds left in regulation.

Overtime

The Hawks controlled the puck off the face-off, but could not get a shot off thanks to some solid defensive coverage by the Devils. A Kirby Dach pass from behind the net went awry and sent the Devils the other way on a 2-on-1 with Erik Gustafsson in between. Hughes skated around a sprawling Gustafsson and stick-handled Lankinen out of position to give himself a wide open net for the game-winner and his second of the game.

Analysis: The good, the bad and the ugly

The good: Seth Jones bounced back from a poor performance in the opener with a strong game. He played over 26 minutes and it felt like he never left the ice in the third period. His presence was felt all 200 feet and the hope is he can continue to build on his performance.

The bad: The so-called shutdown pair of Jake McCabe and Connor Murphy was anything but that. They were a combined -5 with the tone being set for their rough night just 17 seconds into the game with the McCabe turnover that led to the Devils’ first goal of the season.

The ugly: Everyone’s favorite whipping boy, Erik Gustafsson, was completely fooled by Hughes on the game-winner.

Credit the Blackhawks for a strong comeback in the third from a two-goal deficit to tie the game and grab a point on the road, however, there are still major defensive issues to clean up.

The Hawks head to Pittsburgh for a game on Saturday against the Penguins at PPG Arena. Puck drop is at 6 p.m. CDT and will be broadcast on NHL Network, NBCSCH and on WGN 720.

The post Blackhawks erase two-goal third-period deficit but lose in overtime at New Jersey appeared first on The Rink.

Colorado continued where they left off, as Rantanen tallied his second goal of the game only eight seconds into the final frame. The Devils would get themselves back into the game with a shorthanded tally from Blake Coleman, followed by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Jesper Boqvist exchanging goals to make the score 4–2 Colorado. Rantanen would tally an empty-net goal to give the Avs the 5–2 victory as time wound down.

The good

• Mikko Rantanen’s second career hat trick
• Sam Girard continues to remain hot after a four-point night vs. St. Louis
• Ian Cole continues to find the back of the net
• Philipp Grubauer seems to be getting back to his old self

The bad

• Colorado continues to look for fancy passes on odd-man rushes, leading to blown goal opportunities

The ugly

• The Avalanche struggled on the power play, striking out on three chances
• Turnovers, turnovers and more turnovers

The post The good, the bad and the ugly: Avs at Devils appeared first on The Rink.

No. You know what? No.

I wanted to do something creative for the last game before the Christmas holiday break. But the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night gave me something the team showed in their 60-minute effort, no motivation.

After opening the scoring in the first period on a hard-working shift from the Matthew Highmore–Zack Smith–David Kampf line that ended in Smith tucking a wrap around attempt, the Blackhawks were out-muscled, out-worked, out-chanced and just flat out ran off of their home ice by the second-to-last in the Eastern Conference New Jersey Devils.

In stead of painstakingly going through every goal that the Devils scored, there’s a just a few takeaways from this effort by the Blackhawks. Following impressive games on the road against the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche, the Blackhawks had an opportunity to build momentum into the Holiday break with a win over a team that, on paper, would be vulnerable.

Corey Crawford appears to “pull himself” after #Blackhawks allow the 4th #Devils goal of the game, 3rd of the 2nd period#CHIvsNJD #NHL pic.twitter.com/GG8l00mvRs

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) December 24, 2019

Instead, the Blackhawks had these key moments happen over the 60 minutes on Monday night:

• Lost Adam Boqvist to a shoulder injury early in the first period
• Went 0-for-7 on the powerplay
• Were out-shot 44-33
• Corey Crawford pulled himself from the game
• Eddie Olczyk snag ‘Happy Birthday’ to Pat Foley while he ate cake and ice cream on the air
• Chicago lost their sixth-straight game heading into the Christmas holiday break

The last time the Blackhawks won the game leading into the Christmas holiday break was December 23, 2013 against the New Jersey Devils. That win gave the Blackhawks a 26-7-6 record at that point in the 2013-14 season. What a time, eh?

This year, losing to the Devils on Monday night sunk the Blackhawks to a 15-17-5 record, good for last in the Central Division and two points clear of a three-way time for last in the Western Conference. Chicago’s 36 points in the standings puts them in 26th in the league, prime draft lottery position.

After the game, Captain Jonathan Toews did not mince words about the inconsistency of the Blackhawks this season.

Toews' thoughts on Chicago's loss to the Devils. #CHIvsNJD pic.twitter.com/IRjLOGU9pr

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 24, 2019

Embarrassing. Enough is enough.

Words and phrases used by Toews following the 7-1 drubbing on Monday night for the Blackhawks.

The players feel it, but do those in coaching positions or front office positions also feel it? Are they willing to make drastic changes needed to give the team a direction? What is it going to take for the Blackhawks to figure something, anything, out this season?

They are not playoff contenders. They are, right now, playing for lottery position and the organization needs to figure out if they are going to lean into that and actually, for realsies, go into a rebuilding mode or try to make the hand they have been dealt into a winner.

There are no magic call-ups coming from the Rockford IceHogs that will fix the Blackhawks’ problems. There is no cavalry.

There is no pointing to the St. Louis Blues of last season being in last-place on January 2 and going all the way to winning the Stanley Cup. That is not a comparison to this Blackhawks team because that Blues run required two major components: A coaching change and a major roster shake-up. As it currently stands, the Blackhawks are not heading in a direction as an organization to make either of those kinds of moves.

https://twitter.com/jcgreenx/status/1209340253313609729?s=20

The Blackhawks are a rudder-less ship with a crew that is side-eyeing the captain while they swab the deck and repair the 35.9 cannonball holes that repeatedly slam the hull of the vessel every night.

There is no hope to sell to the fans.

I wish I has better things to say about the Blackhawks on the eve of Christmas Eve, but I don’t. Night in and night out, fans do not know which Chicago team to expect to show up and that being the only constant for this club is going to sink them out of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third-straight season.

Enough is enough for Jonathan Toews. I’ve had enough. Have you?

The Blackhawks are back in action on Friday, December 27 against the New York Islanders. The first of two meetings between the clubs this season, Friday night’s puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. CST at the United Center.

Merry Christmas. Happy Holiday. Where’s the Tylenol?

The post Along the Boards: “Enough is enough.” Blackhawks lose 7-1 to Devils appeared first on The Rink.

News broke on Friday that both Duncan Keith and Andrew Shaw were sent to the IR, retroactively. What does that mean? It means that Keith could technically return any day now, and Shaw can return after Friday’s game. It ultimately frees a roster spot if they can make the cap situation work.

With the aforementioned injuries, the Blackhawks trotted out the following lines against the Devils.

Saad – Toews – Nylander

DeBrincat – Strome – Kane

Kubalik – Kampf – Wedin

Smith – Dach – Carpenter

Koekkoek – Murphy

de Haan – Seabrook

Gilbert – Gustafsson

Crawford

First period

The opening frame as a whole was a quiet one. Neither team was truly able to get too much working in their favor early on. 

The first action occurred with about 13 minutes remaining in the period. Dennis Gilbert, playing his second game in a row due to Olli Maatta’s illness, laid a big hit on prized rookie and first overall pick Jack Hughes. The hit sparked Wayne Simmonds to respond, as he and Gilbert squared off. 

Dennis Gilbert lays a big hit on Jack Hughes then scraps with Wayne Simmonds. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/yDRdsvDZ9g

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 7, 2019

The biggest mistake of the first period for the Hawks was a lack of discipline. With just over seven minutes remaining, Zack Smith was called for an elbowing penalty against Nikita Gusev. 

On the powerplay, the Devils cycled the puck around the point and circles in the offensive zone. After Sami Vatanen passed the puck to Gusev on the left circle, he returned the puck to Vatanen at the point. Vatanen delivered the exact same pass, this time to Taylor Hall on the opposite circle and the former MVP fired a wicked shot past Crawford to give the Devils the lead. 

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1203111446151872512

The most notable chance of the period for the visitors was a Kirby Dach grade-A chance that he simply missed on. It’s safe to say he knew it too, given his reaction on the play, as he looked to the sky in disbelief. 

The Devils took their 1-0 lead into the first intermission at home. The Devils outshot the Blackhawks 10-7 in the opening frame.

Second period

The second period began in a similar fashion to the first. There were not a ton of scoring opportunities for either side, but a few decent missed chances were exchanged. 

However, fortunes changed for the visitors. A Sami Vatanen hooking penalty on Patrick Kane sent the Blackhawks to a much needed powerplay. 

On the powerplay, the Blackhawks generated a grade-A chance after Dylan Strome found Patrick Kane. Kane’s bid was initially stopped, but the puck was still free. The rebound bounced to the left wing side of the ice and Alex DeBrincat, for the second game in a row, buried the rebound to tie the game.

We'll take it!#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/RxZXBVDdrC

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 7, 2019

The last great chance of the period came on a Devils breakaway. However, Crawford made a huge save and kept the game tied as the game entered the second intermission. 

Third period

The third period was fast, but quiet. Both teams had some chances, as the Hawks had a power play, but could not capitalize on the chance. The Devils had some chances as well, but neither team could crack the other’s goaltender. 

Neither team could convert on their chances and the third period ended the way it began, with both teams tied at one after 60 minutes of play. 

Overtime

Talk about chances. The Hawks had numerous chances, as did the Devils. Both goalies stood tall as their teams needed and kept the other team from capitalizing in the 3-on-3 overtime period. 

However, the game would require a shootout as neither team could convert.

Shootout

In the shootout, the first four shooters scored. Kane and Toews both scored for the Blackhawks and Nikita Gusev and Jesper Boqvist scores for the Devils.

After that, the goalies stood tall and sent the shootout to sudden death.

In the fifth round, the Blackhawks sent Kirby Dach to shoot. Dach converted on his first ever NHL shootout attempt and put the Hawks up 3-2.

This Kirby Dach (@kdach77) fellow is good at hockey. pic.twitter.com/5DC2fQLez6

— NHL (@NHL) December 7, 2019

On the other side, number one pick Jack Hughes took the 5th attempt for the Devils, but was denied by Corey Crawford, sealing the win for the Blackhawks. The Hawks won in the shootout 2-1.

Quick hits

• 250 for Crow: Friday’s game marked the 250th career victory for Corey Crawford in the NHL. Given the number of goaltenders to accomplish that in NHL history, dare I say it could be a topic of discussion for Corey Crawford to be a hall of famer. 
• The youngster: Kirby Dach converted on his first ever NHL shootout attempt. It makes a lot of sense that Dach would be successful given his skillset. He has great hands, works well in tight on goaltenders, and normally scores out in front of the net. He did an excellent job to help the Blackhawks get a much needed victory in New Jersey. Also, how about the reaction from the youngster’s mom?

This is the purest gif we have ever shared on twitter dot com

Mama Dach watching her rookie win it in the shootout! #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/yjs4zNYnSH

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 7, 2019

The Blackhawks will play host to the pacific leading Arizona Coyotes on Sunday night at the United Center. Puck drop is scheduled for “one of those great six o’clock starts” as the great Eddie Olcyzk would say.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks edge Devils in the shootout, 2–1 appeared first on The Rink.

6 p.m. CST
Prudential Center
TV/Radio: NBCSN/WGN

Projected starting goaltenders

Chicago — Corey Crawford (5–7–2, .904 save percentage, 3.04 goals against average, one shutout)
New Jersey — MacKenzie Blackwood (8–8–3, .896 save percentage, 3.17 goals against average, one shutout)

Team statistics

Power play
Chicago (14.1%, 26th)
New Jersey (13.1%, 28th)

Penalty kill
Chicago (80.7%, 17th)
New Jersey (76.1%, 24th)

Shots for/against
Chicago (31.3, 16th; 35.9, 30th)
New Jersey (30.9, 20th; 30.6, Ninth)

Shooting percentage
Chicago (8.9%, 23rd)
New Jersey (8.1%, 27th)

Face off percentage
Chicago (48.9%, 24th)
New Jersey (47.4%, 28th)

Projected lines and pairings

Chicago Blackhawks

Brandon Saad — Jonathan Toews — Alexander Nylander
Alex DeBrincat — Dylan Strome — Patrick Kane
Dominik Kubalik — David Kampf — Kirby Dach
Anton Wedin — Ryan Carpenter — Zack Smith

Slater Koekkoek — Erik Gustafsson
Calvin de Haan — Brent Seabrook
Olli Maatta — Connor Murphy

New Jersey Devils

Jesper Boqvist — Nico Hischier — Kyle Palmieri
Taylor Hall — Pavel Zacha — Jesper Bratt
Blake Coleman — Travis Zajac — Nikita Gusev
Miles Wood — Jack Hughes — Wayne Simmonds

Andy Greene — P.K. Subban
Sami Vatanen — Damon Severson
Will Butcher — Mirco Mueller

Analysis

Book it, the Blackhawks are going to win the Cup this year. They have won one in a row and that one team is the one with the second overall best record.

Back to reality, Chicago jumped out to a 3–0 lead before the defense fell apart. Luckily for the Blackhawks and head coach Jeremy Colliton, the furious Boston comeback was just a bit too late and they were only able to send the game to overtime, rather than complete the comeback for a win. As a result, Jonathan Toews took advantage of a fallen Bruins defenseman and won the game with a rare, virtually end-to-end, breakaway in the extra frame.

Their opponent tonight, the New Jersey Devils, have had quite a week. They fired head coach John Hynes last week, then promoted bench coach (and former Blackhawks defenseman) Alain Nasreddine to interim head coach. Nasreddine’s first game did not go as he might have hoped, but the team was able to hang with the Vegas Golden Knights. But Jonathan Marchessault‘s third-period hat trick was just too much to overcome.

The Blackhawks expect to go with virtually the same lineup as they did in Boston last night. Corey Crawford will be in goal while Olli Maatta will be a game-time decision with flu-like symptoms. If Maatta cannot go, Dennis Gilbert will draw into his second game in a row since being recalled from Rockford on Wednesday.

Dylan Strome made his return to the lineup in Boston and contributed with a goal and an assist. His designated BFF, Alex DeBrincat, also broke a long scoring drought with a first-period power play goal. If the Blackahwks can continue to get more depth scoring, they will come out ahead before heading to Arizona to face the Coyotes, Sunday.

This is a team the Blackhawks should definitely beat, but they are the definition of Jekyll and Hyde. Which one shows up tonight? Comment below.

The post Preview/Game thread: Chicago Blackhawks vs. New Jersey Devils appeared first on The Rink.