Penguins Pour It On as Blackhawks' Skid Hits Four Games
Coming into Thursday night, the Chicago Blackhawks were looking for a spark. They’d dropped three straight, and while a couple of those losses came in extra time, the performances left plenty to be desired.
With only a minor tweak to the lineup - Colton Dach stepping in for Landon Slaggert and Arvid Soderblom getting the nod in net - the Hawks hoped to hit the reset button in Pittsburgh. But instead of finding their footing, they ran into a buzzsaw.
A Promising Start, Then the Wheels Fell Off
The opening period actually had some promise. The Blackhawks came out with energy, controlling possession and generating chances.
Midway through the frame, they were rewarded. Ryan Greene threaded a slick pass to a wide-open Connor Murphy, who ripped a wrister top shelf to give Chicago the early lead.
That momentum didn’t last long. Less than two minutes later, Pittsburgh equalized - and not without controversy. A missed tripping call in the corner gave the Penguins an opening, and Connor Dewar capitalized, jamming home his 12th of the season to even the score at 1-1.
Despite the setback, the Blackhawks closed out the first with the edge in nearly every meaningful stat: more shot attempts, more shots on goal, and more scoring chances. It was a solid 20 minutes. Unfortunately for Chicago, it would be the last time they’d control the game.
Second Period Meltdown
The second period was where things unraveled - and fast. After a relatively quiet start to the frame, a failed clearing attempt by Artyom Levshunov proved costly.
Anthony Mantha intercepted the puck and found Ben Kindel, who made no mistake. Just like that, Pittsburgh had the lead.
That goal opened the floodgates.
Ten minutes later, Evgeni Malkin set up Egor Chinakov, who sliced through the Blackhawks’ defense and beat Soderblom five-hole. Thirty-one seconds after that, Kindel returned the favor, setting up Mantha for another five-hole finish. Suddenly, it was 4-1.
And the Penguins weren’t done. With under a minute left in the period, Pittsburgh kept the pressure on in the offensive zone.
After a flurry of attempts, the puck kicked out to Ryan Shea, who blasted a slap shot past Soderblom. Five goals in the second period - a nightmare stretch that buried Chicago.
Third Period: Damage Control
The third period didn’t bring much relief. The Penguins kept pressing, outshooting the Blackhawks 13-5 in the final frame. Dewar added his second of the night on a goal-mouth scramble to make it 6-1.
Connor Bedard provided a brief highlight for Chicago, showcasing his elite shot with a laser over Arturs Silovs’ glove to cut the lead to 6-2. But by then, the outcome was long decided.
What Went Wrong - And What’s Next
This one was ugly. There’s no sugarcoating it.
The Blackhawks were outplayed in every facet: shots, faceoffs, hits, takeaways - you name it. Turnovers and missed assignments plagued them all night, especially in the second period when the defense simply couldn’t handle Pittsburgh’s pace and puck movement.
The pairing of Levshunov and Wyatt Kaiser had a particularly rough outing, finishing a combined -5. That’s not just a stat line - it’s a flashing red light. The chemistry isn’t there, and the coaching staff will likely need to make adjustments moving forward.
As for Soderblom, the numbers won’t be kind, but this loss can’t be pinned on him. He faced a relentless onslaught and still managed to keep things from getting even worse. The breakdowns in front of him were just too frequent and too costly.
The Blackhawks now head back to Chicago, where they’ll try to stop the bleeding Friday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Puck drops at 7:30 p.m. CST on CHSN and NHL Network.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that this young Blackhawks team continues to learn hard lessons - and there’s still time to grow. But they’ll need to tighten things up quickly, or nights like this will become far too familiar.