Wyatt Kaiser picked the perfect time to break through.
His first goal of the season came 7:17 into the third period and gave the Chicago Blackhawks the edge in a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night at the United Center, ending Chicago’s three-game skid. The Blackhawks got the go-ahead tally after Roman Kantserov had already pulled them even in the second period, and that was enough to send them to a much-needed win.
Los Angeles struck first when Samuel Helenius scored 2:31 into the game, but Chicago answered on the power play later in the second. Off the faceoff, Teuvo Teravainen worked the puck to Connor Bedard, who moved along the right-side half wall before finding Kantserov near the net. Kantserov put a blind swing on it and got enough of a piece to slip the puck past Anton Forsberg and tie the game.
That goal also gave Kantserov sole possession of first place among rookie goal scorers with five.
The Blackhawks’ power play finally cashed in on a night when it badly needed to. Chicago entered the game at 8.3% with the man advantage, good for just three goals on 36 chances.
The first opportunity didn’t produce, but the Blackhawks caught a break when Joel Armia was sent back to the box for interference after his stick contacted the puck while his skate stayed off the ice. On the second chance, they converted.
Chicago’s offense had plenty of familiar frustrations again. Ryan Donato, who had missed three open nets against Florida in the previous game, was around the puck often but couldn’t finish several premium looks Tuesday, either missing the net or running into strong saves.
Patrick Kane also drew attention for passing up shots too often, including another instance on the power play. Tyler Bertuzzi, who has a set role as the net-front cleanup option, saw two promising chances slide through the blue paint and is still looking for his first goal since Oct. 13 against Pittsburgh.
Spencer Knight held up his end with 25 saves, and Forsberg stopped 25 of 27 shots for the Kings. Chicago moved to 4-8-0, while Los Angeles dropped to 3-6-2.
For the Blackhawks, it had been 12 days since their last victory, a stretch that included a 4-0 loss to the Dallas Stars, a five-day break, then defeats to Montreal and Florida. Tuesday finally gave them something to build on, with Detroit coming up Thursday on the road.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Could Get Pulled Into A Pricey Young Winger Chase
A young winger with some upside is suddenly on the trade radar, and the Blackhawks have been mentioned among the teams in the mix. Washington is exploring options on Ivan Miroshnichenko, and his agent has been contacting multiple clubs, with interest said to be coming mostly from the Western Conference. For Chicago, it is the kind of conversation that fits a rebuilding timeline in theory, even if it immediately raises the question of how aggressive the front office wants to be for another player still early in his NHL path.
The wrinkle is the price. The Capitals are believed to want to move Miroshnichenko out of the Eastern Conference, and the early asking range being discussed is steep enough to make any interested team pause. If the Blackhawks stay involved, it would likely come down to how much they are willing to pay for potential versus patience, especially with other clubs circling and the bidding not sounding modest. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Blue Line Suddenly Faces A Problem Ahead Of Road Trip
A road trip can expose a thin blue line in a hurry, and the Blackhawks are suddenly staring at that possibility with two of their left-shot defensemen in question. Head coach Jeff Blashill said Alex Vlasic is ill and questionable for Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings, a development that comes after he missed the morning skate and leaves Chicago juggling its back end before the trip really gets rolling.
Bowen Byrams situation only adds to the uncertainty. He remains sidelined with an upper-body injury and is also uncertain for the next game against the Boston Bruins, leaving the Blackhawks without much clarity on how their defense will look in the near term. For a team trying to get through a stretch on the road, the timing is far from ideal. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Have An Early Problem Kyle Davidson May Need To Fix
Through the first 12 games, the Blackhawks have looked like a team that can skate, but not always one that can consistently make life difficult on opponents. The numbers behind that impression are stark enough to raise an early concern: Chicago sits near the bottom of the league in both hits and blocked shots, a sign that the roster still lacks some of the grit and edge that tends to travel well over an 82-game season.
For a team trying to build a tougher identity without blowing up its plans, that leaves Kyle Davidson with a familiar kind of balancing act. The Blackhawks can hope for more bite from the players already in the room, but the article also points to possible outside help in Paul Cotter and Nick Seeler, two names that could add some needed physicality without forcing a major investment. [Read more 🡒]