The Chicago Blackhawks finally gave their home crowd something to celebrate Tuesday night, beating the St. Louis Blues 4-2 at the United Center for their first win of the season.
The night carried plenty of weight before the puck even dropped. Patrick Kane made his home debut after returning to Chicago this offseason, and the organization made sure the moment felt big.
The Blackhawks rolled out a custom hype video for the Alternate Captain, followed by “Rock You Like A Hurricane” by the Scorpions blasting through the building. Kane then skated out and stood alone on the blue line during the anthem, a scene that clearly hit the crowd - and Kane himself.
“It was special; I mean, a lot of build-up to the night coming out for warmups, hearing the cheer, and then getting ready for that introduction; it’s a little surreal.”
Once the game started, Chicago leaned on one of its early bright spots. Artyom Levshunov kept making his presence felt, and Tuesday night he took over in a way that changed the game. After a strong keep-in at the blue line, the puck came back to him, and Levshunov sliced through three Blues players before delivering a no-look backhand feed to Anton Frondell, who finished at 7:40 of the second period to put Chicago ahead 2-1.
That kind of play is exactly why Levshunov has become so noticeable in the opening stretch of the season. In 16 games without Connor Bedard, he has seven points, compared with 25 points in 75 games with Bedard in the lineup. He’s been one of the few steady pieces on a blue line that has already taken its share of hits, and his confidence has started drawing attention.
“He’s so powerful. He’s so strong, he’s powerful, and he can skate away from guys, and to see Frondy at the back door, it was incredible.”
Chicago had already needed a lift after an 0-3-0 start that included a 4-3 loss in Buffalo, and it got one in the second period from Frank Nazar and Sam Rinzel. After Mason McTavish gave St.
Louis a 1-0 lead late in the first, Nazar drove the net on the power play and fired low looking for a rebound. Rinzel cleaned it up at 5:40 to even things at 1-1.
From there, the Blackhawks kept pressing. Levshunov’s setup to Frondell put them in front, and they carried that edge deep into the third before closing it out at the end.
Cole Smith added a short-handed empty-net goal at 18:51 to make it 3-1, Connor McMichael answered for St. Louis on a 6-on-4 at 19:22, and Nazar sealed the win with another empty-netter at 19:56 to finish off the 4-2 final and give Chicago its first two points in the standings.
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Blackhawks Young Core Delivered On Patrick Kanes Big Night
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Sam Rinzel and Anton Frondell were among the names that stood out in a game where the Blackhawks kept leaning on their emerging pieces in key spots. Rinzel helped spark the response on a second-unit power play, and Frondell followed soon after on a setup from Artyom Levshunov, a sequence that underscored why this roster is so closely tied to what happens next rather than what happened in the past. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Finally Gave Fans Hope On A Night They Desperately Needed It
The Blackhawks finally gave their home crowd something to hold onto, beating the St. Louis Blues 4-2 for their first home win of the 2026-27 season. It was the kind of night that felt overdue in Chicago, with Sam Rinzel, Anton Frondell, Cole Smith and Frank Nazar all finding the net to power a much-needed result and give the building some life.
The response carried extra weight because the Blackhawks had to chase the game after falling behind early, then steadied themselves and kept pushing until the outcome was secure. Even so, the mood around the win was tempered when coach Jeff Blashill said Teuvo Teravainen left with an injury and will not travel for the next game, leaving a spotlight on a victory that came with at least one fresh concern attached. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Win Showed Exactly What This Young Core Still Lacks
The Blackhawks got a useful home win over the Blues, 4-2, and it came with the kind of fingerprints this season keeps pointing toward. Frank Nazar, Artyom Levshunov and Anton Frondell were among the young players helping drive the night, while Spencer Knight steadied things in goal with 26 saves as Chicago found a way to finish off a divisional opponent at home.
Even so, the game also laid bare the sort of rough edges that still follow this group around. Chicago had defensive lapses along the way and now has a difficult stretch coming up, which makes the margin for error feel a little thinner despite the points in the standings. The talent is showing up more often, but the Blackhawks are still searching for the cleaner, more complete performance that turns flashes into something sustainable. [Read more 🡒]