The Blackhawks left Boston without a win, but they did leave with something they hadn’t had on the road all season: a point.
Chicago’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Bruins on Halloween afternoon was frustrating in the moment, but it also came with signs of real progress. The Hawks posted a season-high in shots on goal and scored four goals for the first time since Oct. 15, giving them a new benchmark to chase as they head back home.
That standard gets tested right away. Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche are due at the United Center on Monday, and Chicago will need to bring the same pace and aggression it showed in Boston if it wants to turn the effort into a result. A Game Day Preview on Chicago Hockey Now is set to break down the matchup after the teams finish their morning skates.
The Bruins game itself had plenty to unpack. Chicago came out with a more assertive, shoot-first approach and played what looked like its best game of the season. Anton Frondell stood out as the best player on the ice, but a costly mistake late in the third period and missed chances in overtime kept the Blackhawks from taking both points.
There was more news beyond the NHL club, too. 2026 second-round pick Ryan Roobroeck picked up Ontario Hockey League Player of the Month honors for October after piling up 14 goals and eight assists for 22 points in 13 games. He’s tied for the league lead in goals and tied for sixth in points.
In Rockford, the IceHogs got a milestone night from captain Brett Seney. He became the franchise’s all-time leading point scorer with 215 points in Sunday’s 4-3 win over the Texas Stars, then sealed it the right way by scoring the game-winning goal in the third period as part of a multi-point effort. Gavin Hayes also kept rolling, scoring for the fifth straight game.
The only concern out of that win was forward Nick Lardis, who left in the first period with an injury and did not return. The IceHogs have not given an update on his status.
Around the league, the Seattle Kraken and Nashville Predators made a former first-round swap, sending Shane Wright to Nashville and bringing Matthew Wood back to Seattle in a one-for-one deal. Sportsnet’s Michael Amato also argued that the Tampa Bay Lightning and Minnesota Wild should move on from Nikita Kucherov and Quinn Hughes before it’s too late, while Detroit Hockey Now’s Max Smith predicted Simon Edvinsson and Dylan Larkin will be traded before Thanksgiving.
Elsewhere, Cutter Gauthier powered the Anaheim Ducks past the Ottawa Senators with his second career hat trick, Connor McDavid kept his blistering start going by becoming the fastest player in NHL history to reach 30 assists, and Pyotr Kochetkov stayed perfect as the Carolina Hurricanes rolled the Winnipeg Jets 7-0.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Just Unveiled A New Look Fans Will Definitely Debate
The Blackhawks added a fresh wrinkle to their look this week with a green-themed jersey unveiled as part of a league-wide release, and it is already the kind of design that will get fans talking. Built around the Blackhawks logo on a green base, the sweater is meant to celebrate Chicagos history and progress, with gold shoulder patches and embossed stars inspired by the city flag giving it a distinctly local feel.
It is also set to become more than a one-off alternate, with the team planning to wear it at six home games this season and rolling out a new merchandise line alongside it. The first chance to see it in action comes in a home matchup against the Colorado Avalanche, which should give Blackhawks fans an immediate read on whether this new look lands as a sharp addition or a bold departure. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Just Got A Brutal Patrick Kane Blow During This Slide
The Blackhawks skid got a whole lot tougher to manage in Denver, where a 5-2 loss to the Avalanche stretched their slide to three straight and sent another jolt through a lineup already trying to find its footing. Patrick Kane, who has been carrying the offense since returning to Chicago on a two-year contract, left in the second period with an upper-body injury and did not come back, leaving the team to finish the night without its top scorer.
For a club still trying to stabilize its season, losing Kane at this stage is more than a short-term inconvenience. Head coach Jeff Blashill said the winger is expected to miss at least the next couple of games, which puts even more pressure on a roster that has already been leaning on him heavily. Chicago now has to sort through a rough stretch without the one player who has been giving its attack the most reliable punch. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Get Even Worse News After Another Brutal Loss
The Blackhawks were already trying to steady themselves after another rough night at the United Center, where they let a 2-0 lead slip away in a 5-2 loss to the Avalanche. It was the kind of collapse that deepens every concern around a team that has now dropped six of its last seven, and it leaves little margin for error as a difficult road trip approaches.
Chicago also has to navigate the fallout from Patrick Kanes upper-body injury, which is expected to keep him out for the next couple of games. Losing one of the clubs most important pieces only adds to the pressure on a roster that is searching for answers fast, and the timing could hardly be worse with the schedule about to get tougher. [Read more 🡒]