First period

The aforementioned Bedard goal, on the power play, gave the Blackhawks the lead at 1-0 at the 8:11 mark of the opening frame. The goal, assisted by forwards Patrick Kane and Tyler Bertuzzi, was a thing of beauty as the 21-year-old ripped home a wrist shot past Skinner.

Patrick Kane Connor Bedard
goal https://t.co/lYZSQn2thR

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 16, 2026

Frank Nazar would extend the early lead to 2-0 beating Skinner at the 15:10 mark with a wrist shot of his own after a short breakaway. The unassisted goal was Nazar’s third goal of the season.

GOAL: Frank Nazar buries a breakaway goal in his first game back from suspension. https://t.co/5r5vSjFuDZ

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) October 16, 2026

Chicago had plenty of control of the first period of action and probably could have extended their lead to three on a few occasions but the Jets cut the lead in half at 2-1 after Neal Pionk scored his first of the season, beating goaltender Spencer Knight at the 16:57 mark of the period.

About 20 seconds after the Jets’ tally, forward Ryan Donato beat Skinner for his second goal of the season with an excellent drag move and showed tons of patience before firing home the goal blocker side.

Ryan Donato, that was smoooooth https://t.co/zUvK0Qdnpm

— NHL (@NHL) October 16, 2026

Second period

Winnipeg would take advantage of the intermission and came out with a little pep in their step as Chicago played much of the early part of the period on their heels. After a Ryan Greene tripping penalty, Jets winger Kyle Connor scored his eighth goal of the season to shorten the Chicago lead to 3-2.

Chicago was outshot 13-6 in the middle frame and that did not seem to give justice to some of the pressure the Jets put on in the period.

Third period

The lone goal of the final regulation period came by the way of a tip-in by forward Alex Iafallo at the 5:39 mark. The gaol, Iafallo’s second of the season, tied the game at 3-3 and forced the game into overtime.

Overtime

Levshunov fired home his game-winner after Kane dropped the puck for Bedard, who found some speed and brought a couple defenders his way, leaving the 20-year-old defenseman wide open in front with plenty of time to beat Skinner for the game-winning 4-3 goal.

Chicago goal!

Scored by Artyom Levshunov with 03:23 left in the OT. Assisted by Connor Bedard and Patrick Kane.

CHI: 4 | WPG: 3

#WPGvsCHI #Blackhawks #GoJetsGo https://t.co/mS4KDr8oD5

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 16, 2026

Chicago is back on home ice as the Dallas Stars fly into town for a 6 p.m. CDT start on Saturday.

Analysis

Chicago won a game in which they found themselves up early, surrendered a two-goal lead and found more in the tank to finish off a Jets team that had been playing very well to start the season. Bedard, Nazar and Levshunov each scoring goals was a great night for the young nucleus of this hockey team still putting things together.

Playing defense in the NHL is a difficult task that many young defensemen struggle with for years. Levshunov is still a baby in terms of his NHL age and continues to grow on offense while trying to figure out how to defend the world’s best forwards every night. Anyone looking for a prime example of a high draft pick who has all the talent in the world but is still trying to figure things out each night should look no further than Owen Power in Buffalo. The 24-year-old has seven points in seven games this season, which is his SIXTH season in the NHL. That’s right fans, it’s taking a “sure-fire” No. 1 pick six seasons to finally show that he may eventually turn into the Norris Trophy candidate many thought he could turn into, myself included. Let’s give the Blackhawks’ 20-year-old defenseman some time to develop and realize he’s trying to develop on a bottom-five type team.

The post RECAP: Levshunov’s game-winner downs Jets 4-3 in overtime appeared first on The Rink.

First period

It only took four minutes for the Blackhawks to go down in the first. On a 4-on-4, Mark Scheifele knifed through the Blackhawks’ defense, finding Dylan Samberg. He buried a wrister for his first goal of the season, giving the Winnipeg Jets the 1-0 lead. Then, in the last five minutes of the period, Gabe Vilardi got called for a double-minor, giving the Blackhawks a four-minute man advantage. The Blackhawks went to work, with Teravainen getting another goal to add to his streak and tie things up at 1-1.

take a look at the goal from 8⃣6⃣ pic.twitter.com/nCBpEGHMu1

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 4, 2026

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For a period with as little shots as there were, it was action-packed. The teams would go into the intermission tied up at 1-1.

Second period

This period was also full of action for a period without any scoring. A few minutes in, Scheifele rang a shot off the post, beating Knight, but not getting it in the net. Nine minutes in, Ilya Mikheyev got a breakaway chance, but was not able to beat Connor Hellebuyck, who kept that out. All in all, it was a good period for the Blackhawks, who led in shots for the first time in quite a while. That would keep things tied up 1-1 heading into the third.

Third period

The Blackhawks got their first lead of the game quickly in the third. Just 32 seconds in, on a quick feed from the boards by Connor Bedard, Ryan Greene snuck a shot over the shoulder of Hellebuyck, 2-1 Blackhawks.

light. it. pic.twitter.com/HxRmLSzSdJ

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 4, 2026

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It was all downhill from there. Winnipeg dominated play the entire rest of the third period, outshooting the Blackhawks 17-5 the rest of the way. Just as the Blackhawks looked like they might escape with the win though, Winnipeg found a way. With the extra man, Scheifele found Cole Perfetti, who put a wrister past the glove of Knight with 39 seconds left to tie things up 2-2. This game was heading to overtime.

Overtime 

This overtime was all Winnipeg. The Jets got multiple chances early in overtime, with Scheifele involved every time. The last chance that Winnipeg had was on his stick, with him streaking onto the ice after a bad turnover and putting a wrister past Knight to give the Jets the 3-2 win.

Analysis

The Blackhawks have an issue with finishing games. As a young team, it really is not a huge surprise, but is a clear deficiency for this roster. Getting outshot by such a margin in the third shows that they simply ran out of gas, but still almost got it done despite letting up the crazy number of shots that they did.

Jeff Blashill: “We played really good for lots of the game. We just stopped getting out of our zone clean. Because of that, we were in our end for the last 10-12 minutes. It’s just a hard way to play. We didn’t get out clean, and when we had it, I thought we had opportunities to…

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) March 4, 2026

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The Blackhawks are back in action on Friday night at home versus the Vancouver Canucks. That game will be at 7:30 p.m. CST on good old CHSN.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks downed in overtime, lose 3-2 in Winnipeg appeared first on The Rink.

#Blackhawks morning skate lineup:
Greene-Bedard-Dach*
Bertuzzi-Dickinson-Mikheyev
Donato-Moore-Lardis
Lafferty-Foligno-Slaggert

Vlasic-Crevier
Kaiser-Levshunov
Grzelcyk-Murphy

Knight
Soderblom

Not on the ice: Burakovsky*
Out: Nazar, Teravainen (upper-body)

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 19, 2026

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First period

For a period without scoring, the first period had some good action. Both teams managed 12 shots apiece, with some decent chances for both squads, but nothing too dangerous for either goaltender. The Blackhawks got the game’s first power play, and a 5-on-3 opportunity at that. They were unable to convert, with Tyler Bertuzzi getting the best chance right in front of the net, but he was unable to get the puck past Connor Hellebuyck. The period would end in the same 0-0 tie that it started with.

Second period

The Jets got their first big chance on a play set up by Toews. He made a great pass in front to Cole Perfetti, who got a great opportunity in tight, but could not convert. A few minutes later, Dylan Samberg skated right in with the puck. The puck was loose in the crease after his shot, but Knight was able to keep the puck out, despite the crowd forming in front of him. In what seemed like a harmless play, Ryan Donato hoisted the puck out of the defensive zone. Jason Dickinson picked it up in the offensive zone, taking it away from the Jets’ defense. He ripped a wrister past Hellebuyck, making it 1-0 Blackhawks.

lamp: lit pic.twitter.com/3ZAQwc3itr

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 20, 2026

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The Blackhawks got a late power play in this period as well. Connor Bedard had a tremendous chance from the right circle that was saved by a diving Hellebuyck to keep it a 1-0 game. The period would end with the Blackhawks holding onto that slim lead.

Third period

With two and a half gone in the third, the Blackhawks got their best opportunity arguably all game. Nick Lardis had a beautiful feed from the back of the net in front. Landon Slaggert got his stick on it, but could not raise it over the pad of Hellebuyck, who kept it out to keep it a one-goal game. Despite 11 more shots in the third, the Jets could not really get anything going. Bedard would end things with an empty-netter to ice the game, giving the Blackhawks the 2-0 win.

Analysis

This game seemed to be played by two decently matched teams. The Blackhawks are a young team on the beginning part of the upswing, and the Jets are definitely a veteran team in decline. Toews had a couple great plays in his return to the United Center ice, coming out first to cheers and applause for all of his efforts in a Blackhawks uniform over the years. Knight stood tall in this game, but did not appear to be tested too many times. Chicago did a good job winning faceoffs and blocking shots defensively to take the victory in this game.

The Blackhawks’ next game is on Thursday night in Raleigh to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. That game will be at 6 p.m. CST on ESPN+ and Hulu.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks ground Jets, win 2-0 in Toews’ return to Chicago appeared first on The Rink.

Blackhawks lines in morning skate in Winnipeg with Mikheyev out:

Greene-Bedard-Burakovsky
Teravainen-Nazar-Bertuzzi
Donato-Dickinson-Dach
Foligno-Slaggert

Vlasic-Rinzel
Kaiser-Levshunov
Grzelcyk-Murphy
Crevier

Knight

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) October 30, 2025

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First period 

The scoring got started early in this one. Just 1:21 into the game, Colton Dach put Winnipeg on the power play with a hooking call. Winnipeg made quick work of their power play opportunity. Just 21 seconds into the power play, Vladislav Namestnikov got a feed in front of the net and buried his shot, 1-0 Jets.

It took a little bit for the Blackhawks to answer, but they did on a gift goal. A Connor Murphy dump-in took a crazy bounce that came in front of the net, with Connor Hellebuyck stuck behind the net. Teuvo Teravainen put the puck home, making it 1-1.

now let me hear you say Teuvooooooo pic.twitter.com/SIDxBUAyvY

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 31, 2025

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The Jets would come back and put another goal past Spencer Knight before the period was over, though. It was Alex Vlasic versus two Jets on a rush towards the Blackhawks’ net. Mark Scheifele found Gabe Vilardi, who tapped it home to put Winnipeg up 2-1 to end the period.

Second period

Like a broken record, in the same amount of time as the first period, Winnipeg would get a goal past Knight. Under two minutes into the second, Kyle Connor got the puck over to Scheifele. It was not a particularly strong or good shot, but it went right through the five-hole of Knight, 3-1 Jets. Just under 10 minutes later, it was Vilardi again on a feed in front from Dylan DeMelo to make it 4-1 Winnipeg. That would be how the second period would end, with the Blackhawks in a massive hole.

Third period

The Blackhawks managed to make it through the first few minutes of the period unscathed, but the Jets did come back and score first all the same. Josh Morrissey put a shot on net from the point that went off the post, off of Knight’s skate and into the back of the net to make it 5-1 Jets.

Around three minutes later, Bedard fished a Murphy shot out from the front of the net. It found its way to Vlasic, who put home his first of the season to make it 5-2 Winnipeg.

Vlasic on the rebound pic.twitter.com/46mOe6Gdka

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 31, 2025

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Two minutes later, the Blackhawks would strike again. Bedard took a shot from the point that found Andre Burakovsky in front. He made a fancy move to put the puck through his legs and put it top shelf, 5-3 Jets.

we like this pic.twitter.com/19KN8w0XrH

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 31, 2025

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With less than three minutes left, Knight was going to leave the ice for an extra attacker. He never got the chance to, as the Blackhawks turned the puck over to the Jets. Connor then got a backhander from in front of the right circle and roofed it past Knight, putting the cherry on top for the Jets in a 6-3 victory for Winnipeg.

Analysis

This was by far the Blackhawks’ most lopsided loss this season. To this point, even in losses, they have been able to keep it close and always seemed to have chances to come back. This was too deep of a hole to dig out of. Knight definitely played his worst game of the season by a landslide, with multiple weak shots leading to goals that should not have happened. Some of that can be blamed on the defense, but the five-hole goal from Scheifele is all on him. Defensively, the Blackhawks looked like they were not ready for the quickness that the Jets would come at them with, and definitely that led to some breaks in the other direction. It was a bit of a mess in this game, as the Blackhawks clearly were not ready for this game. Hopefully this gets them back on track for the rest of this road trip or else it will be a long five-game stretch here for this team.

The Blackhawks next head to Alberta on Saturday night to take on the Edmonton Oilers. That game will be at 9 p.m. CDT on CHSN.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks downed by Jets in first battle against Jonathan Toews appeared first on The Rink.

With the Hawks going with the kids in the final two road games, Chicago got to celebrate the careers of Maroon and Martinez one final time.

The lineup for the game was as followed:

Blackhawks lines in morning skate:

Moore-Bedard-Mikheyev
Teravainen-Nazar-Bertuzzi
Donato-Foligno-Kurashev
Slaggert-Veleno-Maroon

Vlasic-Rinzel
Martinez-Murphy
Kaiser-Levshunov

Knight

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) April 12, 2025

First period

The Hawks got the scoring started with a shorthanded goal from the captain, Nick Foligno.

Never fear, the Captain is here pic.twitter.com/bjJTLwEkU6

— Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) April 12, 2025

Less than two minutes later, the Hawks’ special teams came through again, this time on the power play as Connor Bedard doubled the lead.

YOU KNOW HIM. YOU LOVE HIM. IT’S CONNOR BEDARD! pic.twitter.com/ZK1XNlFLav

— Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) April 12, 2025

The primary assist on the goal was from Sam Rinzel, who has made a profound impact on the Hawks in his young career. Chicago led 2–0 after the first period.

Second period

The Jets jumped back into the game, as Nino Niederreiter scored his 17th goal to cut the lead in half. Later in the period, Kyle Connor tied the game was his 41st goal of the season. Despite giving up two goals in the period, Spencer Knight showed why the Blackhawks were happy to acquire him.

Third period

In the third period, Josh Morrissey put the Jets up with his 13th of the season. The lead stood until Ryan Donato tied the game up at just past the halfway point.

Oh and by the way, the game is now tied pic.twitter.com/nCmTmaOHLs

— Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) April 13, 2025

The electric Frank Nazar gave the Hawks the lead later in the period.

FRANK FOR THE HOME CROWD pic.twitter.com/YpfESwhGqA

— Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) April 13, 2025

Morrissey scored again late to send the game to overtime.

Overtime and shootout

After a scoreless overtime, the Hawks and Jets went a shootout, which the Jets claimed with two goals to the Hawks’ one.

FINAL after shootout: Jets 5, Blackhawks 4

Donato: missed
Scheifele: hit post
Bedard: scored
Connor: scored
Teravainen: missed
Perfetti: scored

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) April 13, 2025

Analysis

Congratulations to Maroon and Martinez on great NHL careers. Both men were three-time Stanley Cup champions. It was a first-class celebration all game with the Hawks honoring both with video tributes. The Jets showed class by having a handshake line for Maroon and Martinez following the game.

On the ice, Bedard notched a goal and assist in the game. He is now the franchise leader in assists for a teenager, passing Eddie Olczyk. Bedard is one goal shy of his career high. Nazar continues to improve as the season goes on. He now has 10 goals and 13 assists in 51 games.

Rinzel continues to be impressive in first NHL stint. The young defenseman is making the simple plays look easy and looks to be wise beyond his years.

After the loss, the Hawks are locked in the 31st spot and second-best odds to win the lottery. They will enter the draft in the same position as last season. That gives them a 13.5% chance of winning the lottery. Based on their position, the Hawks cannot fall lower than the fourth pick in the draft.

The Hawks’ next game is Monday at 6 p.m. against the Montreal Canadiens. Of note, the controversial Ivan Demidov is expected to make his NHL debut in the game, as will newly signed forward Ryan Greene, who inked his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks on Sunday following Boston University’s defeat in the NCAA National Championship game on Saturday night.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks fall in shootout in Maroon and Martinez swan songs appeared first on The Rink.

While the result of the game was similar to that of the Luke Richardson era, there were some noticeable changes out of the gate. The Hawks played a 2-1-2 forecheck, which he hopes will keep his forward more active. In addition, Sorensen asked his defenseman to get more involved up the ice and chip in offensively.

The newly minted interim coach also made some changes to the forward lines.

#Blackhawks lineup vs. Jets in Anders Sorensen’s first game as interim head coach:
Kurashev-Bedard-Teravainen
Hall-Donato-Bertuzzi
Foligno-Dickinson-Mikheyev
Maroon-Reichel-Smith

Vlasic-Murphy
Allan-Martinez
Kaiser-Brodie

Mrazek
Söderblom

Extras: Anderson, Crevier

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 7, 2024

The biggest change was making Philipp Kurashev the center for the top line with Connor Bedard and Teuvo Teravainen.

First period

The game began eerily similar to their last game, as Alex Vlasic scored the first goal of the game, his second in the last two games.

power play magic pic.twitter.com/WwFDlppen2

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 7, 2024

After the Vlasic goal, the Blackhawks lost goalie Petr Mrazek for the rest of the game with a lower-body injury. This was a huge blow to the Blackhawks.

Later in the period, Gabe Vilardi of the Jets tied the game at the 13:31 mark. Chicago did respond with a goal from Alec Martinez at 19:47, his first as a Blackhawk.

LET IT RIP ALEC pic.twitter.com/37MhanvQ4u

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 7, 2024

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

Second period

In the second period, the Jets tied the game up with a goal from Nino Niederreiter. Arvid Soderblom saved the eight other shots in the period. The period ended with the scored tied at 2–2. 

Third period

With the scored tied at 2–2, the Jets’ Mark Scheifele scored the eventual game-winning goal at 13:10 gone by. The Hawks tried to make a comeback by pulling Soderblom late in the period. The Hawks’ empty net lead to a Mason Appleton goal for the Jets.

The final score was 4–2 in favor the Jets.

Analysis

While the results were the same, the Sorensen era gives up hope for the future. Despite the lowest shot output of the season, the Hawks seemed to play better on offense. The task for Sorensen is to make the offense more potent while not sacrificing their defensive structure, which has been a strength this season.

Let’s keep in mind that is going to take some time for the team to change. The new interim coach had only one practice to start implementing his style of play.

While the result of the game hurt, the biggest loss of the contest was the injury to Mrazek. Mrazek, who has dealt with groin injuries in the past, has been a stalwart in net. Before the injury, he had posted a respectable 2.83 goals against average and .906 save percentage in 20 games. Due to the injury, Soderblom becomes the Hawks’ primary netminder with Drew Commesso becoming the backup. While Commesso might not be ready for the NHL, he is being pressed into action this season because of Laurent Brossoit’s unavailability due to injury.

With Mrazek injured, Sorensen now has a tougher task of ahead of him for the rest of the this season.

Update: Mrazek placed on injured reserve

While writing this recap, The Rink learned that the Mrazek was placed on injured reserve and Commesso was recalled. In addition to Commesso, the Blackhawks recalled Kevin Korchinski. While the move might appear curious on the surface, it makes sense in context. Martinez left Saturday’s game with an injury as well and is expected to be out of the lineup for a short period of time. Korchinski began the year in Rockford after spending all of last season in the NHL. In Rockford with Sorensen, Korchinski has excelled, becoming a dynamic offensive defenseman. The thought process could be that the Blackhawks want to see if Korchinski’s play at Rockford can translate in the NHL with Sorensen.

The Blackhawks’ next game is Monday at 7 p.m. EST against the New York Rangers.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks fall 4–2 to Jets in Sorensen’s debut appeared first on The Rink.

First period

This first period was much better for the Blackhawks. After coming out sluggish against Utah in the opener, the Hawks played a solid brand of hockey. Chicago put six shots on net while only allowing seven. All the shots were stopped by Connor Hellebuyck and Arvid Soderblom, respectively.

The lone highlight of the first period was Connor Bedard sending a behind-the-back pass to Ilya Mikheyev.

A Patrick Kane-esque no-look backhand pass by Connor Bedard. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/RB0TlCNNjN

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) October 12, 2024

Second period

In the second period, the Blackhawks finally broke the scoreless tie with a goal from Ryan Donato. Donato streaked down the ice and fired a shot past Hellebuyck.

Ryan Donato scores his first goal of the season, and Pat Maroon picks up an assist for his first point with Chicago. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/G4JYF7CNzB

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) October 12, 2024

The period ended with the Hawks leading 1–0.

Third period

With time winding down in the third period, Mark Scheifele beat Soderblom for the game-tying goal, sending things to extra time.

Overtime

In overtime, Philipp Kurashev lost a defensive zone faceoff and then completely lost Scheifele in coverage, leading to an easy goal for Scheifele—his second of the game—and the Jets victory. The Hawks and Soderblom were robbed of their first victory of the season in crushing defeat. Scheifele became the first player in franchise history to score a tying-goal in the final two minutes of regulation and game-winner in the first minute of overtime.

Analysis

Soderblom had his best start in two seasons. After having a horrific season last year, this was a very good sign for the young goalie. He made 33 of 35 saves and had a .943 save percentage and was named the second star of the game. With Soderblom expected to return to the AHL once Laurent Brossoit is healthy, he has to make the most of his NHL starts this season. He absolutely deserved the victory, and probably a shutout, too.

Friday marked the season debut of Wyatt Kaiser. Kaiser replaced Nolan Allen as the sixth defenseman in the lineup. He played 15:01 in the contest. The bottom-pairing defensemen rotation will be a thing to watch as they are the only young players currently fighting for ice time.

There are no moral victories for the Blackhawks this season. The last two seasons were about losing games for a high draft pick; now the team has to start building on the foundation that has been laid here with Bedard and others. The team needs to start winning to get the younger players to start building winning habits.

The Hawks will take on the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday at 9 p.m. CDT. The game can be seen on CHSN and heard on WGN 720 AM.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks blow late lead in 2–1 overtime loss to Jets appeared first on The Rink.

First period

Both teams traded chances early, with the first goal coming late in the period. At the 14:47 mark of the frame, in what seemed like a relatively harmless rush, Nikolaj Ehlers put a shot on net from a sharp angle. It went over Mrazek’s shoulder short side and found twine, giving the Jets a 1–0 lead. The Blackhawks out-shot the Jets in the first, but it did not matter, as the score stayed 1–0 going into the intermission.

Second period

It did not take nearly as long for a goal to come in the second, as Ehlers would go on to pot his second of the game. On a delayed penalty call, he took the puck coast to coast and ripped a shot past Mrazek’s pad, 2–0 Winnipeg. The Blackhawks would answer later in the period, though. At the 15:58 mark of the period, Seth Jones intercepted a pass in the slot. He put the puck up to Colin Blackwell, who broke into the Jets’ zone on a breakaway. Then, he tucked the puck over the glove of Connor Hellebuyck to make it 2–1 going into the break.

this angle tho pic.twitter.com/QHZbHt5tGN

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 24, 2024

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Third period 

The Blackhawks were putting everything they had into tying this game up. They outshot the Jets 14–7 in the third period as a whole. It still took until the last minute for them to get the equalizer. With the goalie pulled and an extra skater on the ice, Jones managed to keep the puck in the zone despite a diving Ehlers’ best efforts. Jones got the puck to the front of the net, where Jason Dickinson tried to get the puck through. Then, the puck found its way to Tyler Johnson, who knotted this one up 2–2 with 43 seconds on the clock. This one was going to overtime.

TYLER JOHNSON TIES IT UP pic.twitter.com/BjZGk5AvRO

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) February 24, 2024

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Overtime

Unfortunately, this one did not last long into overtime. As the Blackhawks have shown many times this year, they cannot withstand heavy offensive firepower in the 3-on-3 overtime frame. Kyle Connor skated into the Blackhawks’ zone with the puck. He put a shot towards the net that went off of Nick Foligno’s skate and redirected past Mrazek. The Jets snatched the victory 3–2 in overtime.

Analysis

As per usual this season, the Blackhawks’ undoing is the amount of turnovers they give up. I did not see any in particular that directly led to a goal, but that is not to say that they did not indirectly. This was just a rough loss, as they tried to do what they could to win, outshooting the Jets and putting the puck on net whenever possible.

The Blackhawks play next on Sunday afternoon against the Detroit Red Wings. That game will be at 5 p.m. CST on NHL Network and NBC Sports Chicago. Blackhawks legend Chris Chelios will have his No. 7 retired in a 3 p.m. ceremony before franchise icon Patrick Kane makes his return to the UC for the first time since being traded in 2023.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks dropped by Jets 3–2 in overtime appeared first on The Rink.

The Blackhawks were searching for their first road win since October. The Hawks rolled out the same lineup as they did against Edmonton on Tuesday night at the United Center.

First period

In the first period, the Blackhawks held the white-hot Jets scoreless. Petr Mrazek was great, stopping all 10 shots he faced in the period. On offense, the Connor Bedard-less Hawks mustered only six shots of their own. All six were stopped by the Jets’ backup netminder Laurent Brossoit.

Second period

In the second period, Mrazek continued to dazzle the Jets in net, allowing no goals on six shots. On offense, the Blackhawks were able to sneak one by Brossoit, as Connor Murphy got a long wrister to go in.

Lukas Reichel drops it to Connor Murphy, who snaps home his second goal of the season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/QqmXYTx951

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 12, 2024

Lukas Reichel “notched” his first point in the last six games. He lasted recorded a point on Dec. 29 against Dallas.

The second period ended with the Hawks up 1–0 on Winnipeg.

Third period

In the third, Mrazek tried his best to steal a road victory for the Blackhawks; however, the Jets were too much for Chicago. Gabriel Vilardi scored his 10th goal of the season to tie the game with less than four remaining in regulation. Mrazek and the Hawks were unable to push this game to overtime, as Nikolaj Ehlers scored his 15th goal of the season with under two minutes left. The Ehlers goal sealed the victory for Winnipeg.

The Jets defeated the Hawks 2–1. Chicago has now lost its last 15 road games this season.

Analysis

Despite getting the loss, Mrazek was named the first star of the game by the scorekeepers. He stopped 26 of 28 shots on net and nearly stole a game from one of the best teams in hockey. Mrazek continues to look strong this season and has assumed the full-time starting role on this team. Barring a trade, Mrazek should be expected the lion’s share of the Blackhawks’ starts from now on.

While Mrazek was a positive in the game, Reichel continued his disappointing season. Reichel has two points in his last 10 games and eights points on the season. While he did record a point, the assist required little skill on his part. If the Blackhawks were not so decimated by injuries, it might be time for Reichel to take a seat this season.

The Blackhawks’ next game is Saturday against the Dallas Stars. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the United Center.

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Here was the lineup for tonight’s matchup:

#Blackhawks morning skate lineup:
Foligno-Bedard-Kurashev
Beauvillier-Dickinson-Raddysh
Donato-T. Johnson-Blackwell
Reichel-Entwistle-R. Johnson

Vlasic-Murphy
Tinordi-Phillips
Korchinski-Zaitsev

Mrazek
Söderblom

Extras: Guttman, Crevier

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 27, 2023

First period

In the first period, the Jets’ top line came out fast and furious, peppering Petr Mrazek with shot after shot early in the period. Despite being outplayed for the most of the period, the Blackhawks got on the board first. Connor Bedard scored his first goal at the United Center since Nov. 4.

Connor Bedard scores his first goal at the United Center since Nov. 4. Monkey off his back. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/C3MLDFp1mG

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 28, 2023

The first period ended with Chicago leading 1–0.

Second period

In the second period, the Jets got on the score sheet with a goal from Morgan Barron to even the game up. While the Hawks have been outshot 26–11, the second period ended with the score tied at 1–1.

Third period

In the third period, the action was fast and furious with both team registering A-plus chances. Mrazek continued standing on his head in the third period. With less than a minute to play, Taylor Raddysh made a desperate attempt to end the game in regulation, but Connor Hellebuyck saved the chance.

This game was tied after three periods and the United Center fans got bonus hockey.

Overtime

In overtime there was mass chaos, with Kevin Korchinski not shooting on a 3-on-1 opportunity to nearly giving the game away with an errant pass in front of his own net. Thankfully Mrazek was up to the task of stopping multiple point-blank chances. Vlasic finally cleared the zone to Bedard, who snapped off the game-winning goal before following it up with the “it’s over” celebration.

Connor Bedard in overtime. Curtains. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/vpGjL3ScVI

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 28, 2023

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Analysis

The Hawks got exceptional goaltending from Mrazek, as has been the case all season, and the team would have not won this game without Mrazek. Bedard is going to the credit for tonight’s victory, but Mrazek was the best player on the ice. While the Hawks’ plan might not be to trade Mrazek, teams should be calling the Hawks about his availability.

In addition to great goaltending, the Hawks’ penalty kill turned in a great night. They surrendered one shot in four kills throughout the game. Defenseman Connor Murphy also earned the third star of the game; the second star being previously mentioned in Mrazek.

The first start of the game was Bedard. He continued on his Calder campaign adding two goals, including the game winner. He now leads the NHL in first-period goals with 13. His second goal of the game was his first overtime winner as a member of the Blackhawks.

While some think Bedard’s play has not been as special as other rookies, here are some more Bedard stats. He has eight points in his last five games and is on pace for a 77-point season. In that five-game span, he has scored on the Michigan and scored a game-winning overtime goal.

If his pace continues, Bedard would have the most points since Mathew Barzal’s 2017–18 campaign. One could argue that Bedard’s season is even more impressive than Barzal’s because of the lack of talent around him. Barzal played with John Tavares, a healthy Josh Bailey, Anders Lee and Jordan Eberle. While the Islanders were not world beaters, their talent level far exceeded this Blackhawks team. If (or, really, when) Bedard wins the Calder, he would be the first Blackhawk to win since Artemi Panarin won for the Hawks in 2015–16 with 77 points.

This is how the Blackhawks need to play to win games this season. They need great goaltending and a clutch goal or two from their star.

The Hawks’ next game is Friday against the Dallas Stars at 7 p.m. CST.

The post RECAP: Bedard, Blackhawks fly past Jets 2–1 appeared first on The Rink.

First period

The Jets got the majority of offensive time in the first few minutes of the game, pinning the Blackhawks down on their own end for the majority of the time. Then, with four and a half minutes gone, the Blackhawks cleared the puck down the ice. Connor Bedard took away a lead pass from Winnipeg and got it to Philipp Kurashev. Kurashev put the puck toward the net, but it deflected off a defender right back to Bedard, who put the puck past Connor Hellebuyck, making it 1–0 Blackhawks.

Connor Bedard with a wicked one-timer pic.twitter.com/fxpAca1xNn

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 2, 2023

The Blackhawks took the first penalty of the game, as Connor Murphy was called for interference. On the ensuing power play, Gabriel Vilardi skated through the Blackhawks defense, getting the puck to Mark Scheifele, who snapped it past Soderblom, tying things up at 1–1, which would hold as the score after 20 minutes.

Second period

After some back and forth action to start the second, the Blackhawks took another penalty, as Jarred Tinordi got called for hooking. On the ensuing penalty kill, the Blackhawks got a great chance when Jason Dickinson took a pass up the side boards. He skated in on a 2-on-1 with Joey Anderson, who could not quite control the rebound off of the initial shot, but did kill off more of the Winnipeg power play. Then, Nikolaj Ehlers got the puck up ice to Morgan Barron past a diving Connor Murphy. Ehlers skated in and fired the puck past Soderblom, putting the Jets up 2–1. The Jets kept coming, but the Blackhawks’ defense stood strong to close out the period. In another Bedard highlight to close out the period, he put a wicked backhand pass across to Kurashev for a shot on net.

Connor Bedard is ridiculous pic.twitter.com/tPNArIj9Iz

— Neil Pierre-Louis (@pierreanalytics) December 2, 2023

Third period

It took five and a half minutes for the first really good chance to come in the third. Adam Lowry put a shot on net that squirted through Soderblom’s pads. The puck was lying there, but Nikita Zaitsev swept it away quickly before any damage could be done.

Zaitsev saves a goal off the line after the puck trickled through Soderblom. Hawks still down 1 with 14:38 left.

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) December 2, 2023

With 10 minutes left in the third, the Jets were on the attack again. They won the face-off, getting the puck back to Declan Chisholm, who got it over to Dylan Samberg. Cole Perfetti deflected the shot right over the stick side of Soderblom, putting the Jets up 3–1. The Blackhawks tried with all of their might, even pulling their goalie, but it was to no avail. Winnipeg would take this one, with a final score of 3–1.

Analysis

The Blackhawks are struggling as of late in scoring goals. In every loss that they have recently, they have only put up three goals once, in a 7–3 drubbing by the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets. In this game especially, they had a passing clinic put on by their opponent. That simply shows that the team is out of position defensively too often, and not playing tight enough defensively as well. This team has dealt with a lot of injuries, but hopefully with Beauvillier in the fold, and with players slowly returning from injury, they will be able to get a few wins together in the coming games.

The Blackhawks have a quick turnaround, heading to the State of Hockey for a Sunday afternoon tilt against the Minnesota Wild. That game will be at 1 p.m. CST on NBC Sports Chicago.

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Petr Mrazek made the start in goal for the Blackhawks. Mrazek saved 24 of 27 shots faced, but really never had much of a chance to pull out a win. He did, however, have his mask knocked off with a first-period shot off the stick of Pierre-Luc Dubois and another in the second off the stick of Kyle Connor. Dubios and Mark Scheifele each had five shots on Mrazek in the game.

On the other end of the ice, Hellebuyck was his usual self, stopping 31 of 32 shots faced. Philipp Kurashev and Johnson matched Scheifele and Dubois, each having five shots on the Winnipeg netminder to lead the Blackhawks.

The Jets’ power play in the second period looked like a bunch of adults toying with children (Reese Johnson, Tyler Johnson, Bryan McCabe, Seth Jones) and ended up with a power play goal from Blake Wheeler, as you might expect. The Blackhawks killed off the other two power plays they faced, but one big failure is often too much for this team.

When the puck ends up in the back of the Blackhawks’ net, it seems like there are a lot of numbers in the 80s skating around with their heads either buried in their laces to looking at the ceiling. Caleb Jones is an adventure in his own end and Patrick Kane looked like he could not care less about supporting the puck up the wall on the Jets’ first goal.

Jets captain Blake Wheeler led all players with three points (two goals, one assist).

If the league is really looking to add Jake McCabe to their roster at the trade deadline, I hope they were not watching this game. He had a rough night, including turning the puck over which led to a third-period 2-on-0 that Mrazek bailed him out of.

For those watching the “tank index,” Chicago is currently ranked 31st overall with a .363 points percentage ahead of only the Columbus Blue Jackets (.340). The Blackhawks are off today and Monday but travel to Quebec to face another bottom-dwelling team, the Montreal Canadiens, on Tuesday. Puck drop is at 6 p.m. CST.

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— Cole Perfetti had the lone goal of the first period at 15:21, with the assist going to Josh Morrissey. The Jets extended their lead less than a minute into the second period when Blake Wheeler scored, 56 seconds into the period.

— Taylor Raddysh provided the lone Chicago highlight of the night, scoring his eighth goal of the season after winning the puck in the slot and firing home a wrist shot. Philipp Kurashev notched an assist on the play.

— The Jets put the game out of reach with under 10 minutes to play in the third period when Adam Lowry scored from a nifty feed from Jansen Harkins.

— Arvid Soderblom was solid with 29 saves on the evening but suffered the loss.

The Blackhawks have the rest of the weekend off but return to action on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. CST at the United Center.

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Despite leading the league in face-off percentage (56.4%), the Blackhawks had a rare bad night at the dots (45%). Jonathan Toews led Chicago, winning 53% of the draws he took.

Petr Mrazek made 37 saves on top of the seven goals he gave up. He did not have a great night at all, but the team around him was no help, either. In fact, he looked frustrated (or fed up) all night.

The Blackhawks goals came from Taylor Raddysh and Jujhar Khaira (power play). Raddysh’s goal brought them within one goal, but the Jets scored two goals in just over a minute and tacked on a Mark Scheifele goal in the final two minutes of the second to carry a commanding 5–2 lead into the third period. The one ray of light was that the Blackhawks were 50% (1-for-2) on the power play.

Seth Jones and Filip Roos (who only played 14:34) both carried -3 on the night. Again, Winnipeg did not put less than 13 shots on the Blackhawks’ net in any of the periods (17, 14 and 13 for 44 total). It was a shooting gallery.

The Blackhawks are back in action Wednesday night as Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers head into town for a special 8:30 p.m. CST puck drop.

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• The Jets got goals from Josh Morrissey, Adam Lowry, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Nate Schmidt.
• Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck recorded his 30th career shutout and his second of this season.
• The Blackhawks have lost four out of their last five games and are 5–5–2 on the young season.
• Arvid Soderblom saved 21 of 24 shots in two periods before being pulled from the game. The trainer said that he was not feeling well and no further update has been given.
• Goalie Dylan Wells made his NHL debut in the third period, making 12 of 13 saves. Wells, a 2016 fifth-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers, was signed on Nov. 2 on a two-way contract. He was the organization’s fifth string goalie entering the season.
• Blackhawks goalie Petr Mrazek is hoping to be back this week. He suffered a groin injury on Oct. 21 against the Detroit Red Wings.

The Blackhawks’ next game is Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings at 9:30 p.m. CST.

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In the game, Kirby Dach was moved back into the center position after spending recent games on the wing. Dach has stated that he would like to be a center in the NHL.

First period

In the first period, the Jets struck first with a goal Nate Schmidt. The Blackhawks turned over the puck in the neutral zone, Kyle Connor fed Schmidt, who beat de Haan and Fleury to the post with a wrap around the net for the first goal of the game.

Despite being outshot and outscored in the first period, the Blackhawks got some solid contributions from Boris Katchouk and Taylor Raddysh. Both players were acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Brandon Hagel trade.

Second period

The Blackhawks tied the game early in the second period, as Raddysh fired the puck at the net. Jonathan Toews redirected in the Raddysh shot for the equalizer. Then, just seconds later with momentum in the Blackhawks’ favor, Dylan Strome executed a give-and-go with Patrick Kane. Kane fed Strome for the wide-open goal. The red-hot Strome scored for his eight time in nine games.

Sadly, the Blackhawks’ lead was short-lived, as the Jets went right down the ice and scored. Jansen Harkins scored the third goal of the period to tie the game at 2–2.

After this goal, Winnipeg capitalized on the Blackhawks’ mistakes. Andrew Copp got the puck on the left side of the ice and threw a pass to Harkins on the back side of the net. Harkins buried the chance for his second goal of the game.

The Hawks’ downward spiral continued as Sam Lafferty was caught hooking late in the third period.  On the Jets’ power play, Fleury lost his glove when moving to his left after a Jets forward sneakily grabbed hold of it with a chicken-wing maneuver. With Fleury not at full strength, Mark Scheifele sent a pass over to Connor for the slapshot goal.

After taking a 4–2 lead, the Jets were not done in the second period. With less than one minute to play in the period, Scheifele found a streaking Josh Morrissey unmarked at the top of the circles. Morrissey blasted a shot past Fleury for the Jets’ fifth goal of the game.

Third period

In the third period, the Blackhawks started to claw their way back into this game. Following a Jets penalty on Jeff Malott, Kane found Raddysh for the power play goal. It was Raddysh’s first goal as a member of the Blackhawks and his sixth on the season.

Later in the period, Lafferty received a pass in the neutral zone, sped into the offensive zone and found Philipp Kurashev. Kursahev beat Connor Hellebuyck to the short corner for the Blackhawks’ fourth goal of the game.

With the lead only one goal, the Blackhawks had three great chances to the tie game late in the third period, but Hellebuyck stood tall and fended off all three chances. The Jets sealed the game with an empty goal, and the Blackhawks fell to the Jets 6–4.

Analysis

This figures to be the last game in which de Haan, Dominik Kubalik and potentially Fleury play for the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks need to continue to acquire assets for the future.

One of their future assets is Raddysh. Raddysh appeared in his second game with the Blackhawks, in which he had one goal and one assist on the night. He also had an A+ chance late in the third period when the Blackhawks were trailing by a goal. The former second-round pick of the Lightning is going to get more an NHL chance with the Blackhawks. He was impressive against Winnipeg, but expectations need to be kept realistic for the young player. With only 57 games under his belt, there is still going to an adjustment period for him.

The NHL trade deadline is Monday at 2 p.m. CDT. The Blackhawks’ next game is against Anaheim on Wednesday with a 9 p.m. CDT puck drop.

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First period

In the first, the Blackhawks tried to get off to a good start. While they did get eight shots on net in the period, none of them found the back of the net. Kirby Dach did have some positive shifts, which are needed to get his development back on track. On defense, the Blackhawks went with a more veteran group, adding Erik Gustafsson in for Jakub Galvas.

In net, Marc-Andre Fleury was ho-hum, stopping all 11 shots he faced in the frame. The first period ended with no score.

Second period

In the second period, Winnipeg controlled the play early. The Blackhawks were not able to get anything going offensively until midway through the second period. MacKenzie Entwistle won a battle and got the puck to a teammate, which led to a shot on goal. Eventually, the puck got back to Jake McCabe. McCabe found Dach with a pass, who in turn found Kane. Kane snapped off a shot for his 12th goal of the season. Kane was able to get a closer shot on the net because Dach cleared out the defense with a center-lane drive.

Patrick Kane snaps one underneath Connor Hellebuyck for his 12th goal of the season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/X7t8da27xK

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) February 15, 2022

After the Kane goal, the Blackhawks carried the momentum for the rest of the period. While the Hawks had the Jets on the ropes, they were not able to capitalize despite some golden opportunities for Kane.

The second period ended with the Blackhawks leading 1–0.

Third period

Fleury and the Hawks were tested early in the third period. The Jets pushed the attack on the Blackhawks and kept the pressure on early. Fleury made three A+ saves with less than four minutes gone by in the third period.

The third period went five-plus minutes without a whistle before Connor Hellebuyck froze the puck. Soon after the stoppage, the Jets got a lucky bounce for their lone goal, as Winnipeg’s Nate Schmidt fired a shot from the top of the zone that deflected off Connor Murphy right to the wide-open Mark Scheifele for a tip-in goal.

Following the Scheifele chance, the momentum had swung in favor of Winnipeg. The swing did not last long, as DeBrincat answered right back. DeBrincat wristed a shot that whistled past Hellebuyck for the go-ahead goal.

CAT MAKES IT 2-1 pic.twitter.com/h5pdudLTHa

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 15, 2022

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After holding off Winnipeg’s last-gasp chance to tie the game, Brandon Hagel sealed the deal with an empty-net goal assisted by the Fleury. It was his 19th career assist.

The Blackhawks won 3–1.

Analysis

The Blackhawks still lack secondary scoring. The team got their three goals from Kane, DeBrincat and Hagel. Those three players are the top three goal scorers for the Blackhawks. The focus of the future needs to be on developing secondary scorers.

On the positive side, two young forwards were noticeable. Entwistle had a nice game; he was always in the middle of the action when he was on the ice. In addition to Entwistle, Josiah Slavin made several nice defensive plays with an active stick.

With the road trip, the Blackhawks will play six games in a row at home. The Blackhawks’ next game is on Thursday at home against Columbus. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST.

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The Blackhawks’ poor fortunes continued on Friday night, dropping a 5–1 contest to the Winnipeg Jets. Let’s recap the Hawks’ ninth regulation loss this season. 

First period

Two goals allowed in the first three minutes is not ideal. The Blackhawks dug themselves a hole early and never recovered from it. However, the Hawks settled into the first period eventually. Scoring chances were 10–9 Jets at the end of the period. Chances only get you a “keep it up,” but the Blackhawks’ struggles to find the back of the net were evident again Friday night. 

Second period

Breakdowns on the defensive end led to two more Jets goals in the second. After the visitors spent their offseason investing highly in defenseman, it has been very poor play to start the season. And there is no quick fix. Does a Caleb Jones return change much? It should take Erik Gustafsson out of the lineup, which would be a necessary change. Overall, the Blackhawks’ hunger is not in their own zone right now. Their forward group is good enough to create chances, but they need help from the other end of the ice in a big way.

Third period

MacKenzie Entwistle lit the lamp on a shorthanded goal for the Hawks’ lone goal of the night. Entwistle is a guy who works his tail off and deserves every opportunity he receives. He can be a consistent bottom-six guy who chips in with some production, and that is something every team needs.

Macker puts us on the board!pic.twitter.com/BzSyrObgPN

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 6, 2021

Outside of Entwistle, it was more of the same all night, and it was a long night, at that.

The Blackhawks were down 2-0 at the 1st intermission tonight, then were outshot 26-9 the REST of the way. Score Effects be damned.

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) November 6, 2021

The Blackhawks will return home on Sunday for a matchup against the Nashville Predators. Puck drop is at 6 p.m. CST from the United Center.

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