The Chicago Blackhawks had the kind of night that can turn a promising start into a frustrating mess in a hurry.
They jumped out to a 2-0 lead against the Colorado Avalanche at the United Center, then watched Colorado score five straight goals and skate away with a 5-2 win. It was the second game in a row the Blackhawks blew a multi-goal advantage, and the loss dropped them to 4-10-1. Chicago has now lost six of its last seven.
The blow got even heavier when Patrick Kane left with an injury in the second period. After the game, head coach Jeff Blashill said the star forward will miss the next couple of games with an upper-body issue.
Wyatt Kaiser and Roman Kantserov gave Chicago the early cushion, but that was about as good as it got. Kaiser got the scoring started just 57 seconds in when his wrist shot from the point was deflected and still slid over the line. Then Kantserov made it 2-0 at 7:05, finishing a Bedard feed on a 2-on-1 rush for his team-leading sixth goal of the season.
From there, Colorado took over.
Nazem Kadri got the Avalanche on the board at 15:23 of the first period, diving into the crease to knock in a shot from Gabriel Landeskog. Just 26 seconds later, Jaden Schwartz tied it with a quick wrist shot after Chicago got caught pressing up ice. By the end of the opening period, the Avalanche had tilted the ice badly, holding a 14-4 edge in shots on goal and a 13-5 advantage in scoring chances.
The pressure kept coming in the second period. Kadri struck again at 13:38 on the power play to put Colorado in front 3-2, with Nathan MacKinnon picking up the secondary assist.
Then Schwartz added his second goal at 19:49 to push the Avalanche ahead 4-2 before the intermission. That stretch gave Colorado four unanswered goals after spotting the Blackhawks the early lead.
Chicago had one last chance to swing the momentum in the third period, but Frank Nazar’s highlight-reel effort came up empty. He danced past Brett Kulak and fired a backhand that beat Mackenzie Blackwood, only to see it hit both the crossbar and goalpost before bouncing away.
Devon Toews closed it out with an empty-net goal at 17:38, finishing off the five-goal run. Blackwood stopped 21 of 23 shots to earn the win, while Colorado improved to 9-5-1. The Avalanche have now won 14 of 18 meetings with Chicago since the start of 2022.
The Blackhawks now head out on a three-game road trip, with Florida, Tampa Bay and Carolina waiting next. Even with Kane available, that stretch would have been a tough one. Without him, it gets harder still.
In Other News...
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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 🡒]
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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 Enter A Pivotal Week With Blashill Under Real Pressure
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There was at least a small offensive spark recently when Anton Frondell snapped out of a six-game point drought, but the larger issue remains the same: the Blackhawks need more consistent scoring and more reliable support around their young core. With a difficult run of opponents coming up, the pressure on Blashill is only set to increase, and the front office is already being pushed to consider ways to add more punch before this slide gets any worse. [Read more 🡒]