Roman Kantserov finally got on the board, but the Chicago Blackhawks had no answer for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Chicago’s home game turned into a long night fast. After a quiet first period left the Blackhawks trailing 1-0, Carolina wasted no time stretching the gap early in the second. Before that period was even four minutes old, the Hurricanes had pushed the lead to 3-0, and the game was already tilting hard out of reach.
The Blackhawks did manage a spark soon after. Kantserov jumped on a breakaway, used his speed to separate, and buried the first NHL goal of his career. The former KHL star was finally officially on the board.
Any lift from that moment disappeared almost immediately. Former Blackhawk Taylor Hall answered less than two minutes later, and the two teams combined for four goals in a five-minute stretch.
Carolina put the game away for good at 5:00 of the third period, making it 5-1 and turning the rest of the night into damage control. Oliver Moore later added a nice finish of his own, but it did little to change the overall picture: the Blackhawks were beaten badly in their own building by the defending Stanley Cup champions.
The final shot total told the story too. Carolina finished with a 39-26 edge, and while Chicago showed a little more life late in the third, it still wasn’t close to the standard of a team that expects to compete for 60 minutes.
Kantserov was Chicago’s best forward by a wide margin. He scored the team’s first goal and created offense, even if the defensive side of the game was rough for all of the Blackhawks’ forwards, him included.
Nick Lardis also showed some improvement after a difficult start to the season. With Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar out of the lineup, Chicago is asking a lot from younger players, and being ready for those regulars to return matters.
The struggles weren’t limited to the forwards. Four of the six defensemen had poor nights, though Alex Vlasic and Ian Cole held up well as the middle pair. Through this early stretch, they’ve been the best duo Jeff Blashill has put together.
There’s also a growing question on the blue line. Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro have spent all but one game in the press box, but that may not last much longer. If Bowen Byram, Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, and Wyatt Kaiser keep logging games like this, Blashill may not have much of a choice about rotating them in.
For now, the bigger takeaway is simple: the Blackhawks are still a long way from the NHL’s top tier. That was already on display against the Vegas Golden Knights, Buffalo Sabres, and Utah Mammoth, and this one only added more evidence.
The schedule doesn’t get easier from here. Chicago has played only two of its first six games at the United Center, and now it’s heading into another six straight at home. Next up is a Tuesday night matchup with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In Other News...
Artyom Levshunov Is Showing Why The Blackhawks Keep Betting Bigger
Artyom Levshunov has given the Blackhawks a real reason to keep leaning into his upside early in the 2026-27 season. The young defenseman has been used heavily in the offensive zone, where his skating and ability to keep plays alive have helped Chicago spend more time going the right way. Paired with Bowen Byram, he has helped drive a strong expected goal share, and his work retrieving pucks in the defensive end has looked cleaner than it did a year ago.
There is still a little roughness in the middle of all that promise, which is part of the point with Levshunov. His passing remains closer to average than dynamic, so the play-driving package is not yet fully polished, but the Blackhawks are clearly comfortable letting the game come to him. For a team that has been willing to bet bigger on young talent, his start is another reminder that the long view is starting to show up in the details. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Open Homestand Facing A Forward Test They Didnt Need
The homestand starts under less-than-ideal circumstances for the Blackhawks, who welcome the Carolina Hurricanes to the United Center while trying to sort through a depleted forward group. Chicago is already dealing with injuries to Connor Bedard and Andrew Mangiapane, and the absence of center Frank Nazar only adds to the pressure as the team looks to settle in for seven straight at home.
Lineup changes were inevitable, and the Blackhawks have turned to Nick Lardis in a bigger role as they try to keep the offense moving. For a club that was hoping the homestand would provide some stability, the opening game instead becomes a test of how much flexibility the roster really has when the lineup starts to thin out. [Read more 🡒]
Ed Olczyk Is Back In The Blackhawks Fold Again
Ed Olczyk is back in the Blackhawks orbit in a familiar and fitting role, with the team naming the Chicago native and former player a team ambassador. The move brings another recognizable face into a franchise that has spent plenty of time reconnecting with its past, and Olczyk is expected to help bridge that history with what the organization is trying to build now through appearances and team events.
There is also a television element to the reunion, since Olczyk is returning as an analyst for select CHSN games. For Blackhawks fans, it adds another voice who knows the market, the crest and the expectations that come with it, and his first assignment in that role is set to include a meeting with the Carolina Hurricanes. [Read more 🡒]