The Chicago Blackhawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead and still ended up on the wrong side of a 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, a game that followed their 5-4 overtime defeat to the Boston Bruins and did little to calm the noise around a team searching for traction.
For a brief stretch, it looked like the Blackhawks might catch the Avalanche flat. Wyatt Kaiser opened the scoring on a goal that was described as a complete fluke, but it counted all the same, and Chicago was ahead less than a minute into the night. Then Connor Bedard set up Roman Kanteserov’s sixth goal of the season after a Colorado offensive zone turnover, and just 7:05 into the game the Blackhawks had a 2-0 cushion against one of the league’s top teams.
That early burst didn’t hold up. Chicago managed only four shots in the first period, a warning sign that the scoreboard was flattering the home side more than the play itself. The Avalanche eventually settled in and took over, turning the game into a one-sided affair.
The biggest reason was the Blackhawks’ work in front of their own net. Colorado repeatedly found space around the crease and in the slot, and Spencer Knight was left to clean up the mess.
All four non-empty net goals for the Avalanche came from right around the goal mouth or slot. Knight made the first stop, but the rebounds were there for Colorado to finish.
It was the kind of breakdown that has haunted Chicago all season, and it could have been even uglier if not for a disallowed goal with just under seven minutes left in the first period.
The power play didn’t offer any rescue either. Chicago went 0-for-4 with the man advantage, another wasted chance in a season where that unit has been stuck in the mud.
The Blackhawks are now 5-for-47 on the power play, a 10.6 percent success rate that leaves them ahead of only the Montreal Canadiens in the wrong direction. Bedard’s return has not been enough to change that, and the group still looks stuck trying to solve a problem that has lingered all year.
There’s no soft landing coming, either. The schedule only gets tougher from here, with the next four games including road trips to the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina Hurricanes, plus home dates with the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs. Bowen Byram will help when he returns, at least on paper, but the Blackhawks are still a young team trying to find an identity and not getting much payoff from the promise they do have.
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 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 🡒]