The Chicago Blackhawks had a chance to steady themselves Saturday night, and for a while it looked like they might do exactly that. They grabbed an early lead, pushed it to 3-2, and even found a little spark from Anton Frondell in a role that looked a lot more like a creator than a finisher.
But the finish never came. Chicago let the game slip away in a 4-3 loss to the Sabres, another frustrating result in a start that has raised more questions than answers.
Frondell’s most eye-catching moment came on a feed rather than a shot. After Alex Vlasic set up Ryan Donato for the opening goal, Teuvo Teravainen worked the puck across the crease to Frondell, who delivered a slick pass to Tyler Bertuzzi for the finish. Later, after Chicago had just killed a penalty and Oliver Moore stepped out of the box, Moore and Frondell connected on a rush that ended with Moore beating Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to make it 3-2.
For a player long viewed as a pure sniper, Frondell’s passing stood out. His vision drove two of Chicago’s best moments of the night, and his touch around the net gave the Blackhawks something they’ve been searching for.
Even so, the bigger picture remains rough. Through three games, Chicago’s start has looked nothing like a team easing into a slump.
The Blackhawks are scoring just 1.67 goals per game and allowing five per game, and the shot volume has been a problem too, with only 18.7 shots per game. The numbers are ugly, but the eye test has been just as harsh.
There’s also a clear comparison floating around to San Jose’s 0-4-2 start from last season, but the two situations don’t line up. The Sharks opened with overtime games against the Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks, finished that stretch 0-1-2 with a -6 goal differential, and averaged over three goals a game while giving up five. Chicago, by contrast, has looked flatter and less dangerous even with a slightly lower PDO around 95.1.
The defense hasn’t helped. San Jose took plenty of heat for its early-season problems last year, but Chicago has allowed nearly the same shot volume despite the heavy investment into its blue line.
Then there’s the power play, which has become one of the most frustrating parts of the Blackhawks’ 2026-27 season. With Connor Bedard out, the unit has gone quiet.
The breakout has been messy, whether Sam Rinzel, Artem Levshunov or Bowen Byram is involved, and Chicago hasn’t been able to establish itself in the offensive zone. There’s also a lack of finish beyond Patrick Kane, while Frondell has had the shot to threaten but can’t seem to find room.
After Saturday, the Blackhawks had gone seven straight power-play chances without a goal.
It’s still early, but the pattern is hard to ignore. Chicago keeps coming up short, and the early lead against Buffalo was another one that got away.
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For now, though, the early challenge is doing enough offense without Bedard, who remains sidelined after offseason shoulder surgery. Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton recently weighed in on the Blackhawks chances to hit that benchmark, and the discussion naturally turned to where the next wave of production might come from. Hutton also flagged Spencer Knight as a player who could tilt the season one way or the other, which is the sort of swing factor Chicago cannot afford to overlook. [Read more 🡒]
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Odelein also spent part of his career with Chicago, fitting the kind of hard-edged style that Blackhawks fans have long respected. Over 1,056 games, he put up 50 goals and 252 points, but the number that best captures his reputation is the one tied to his physical presence, a total that underscored just how hard he played every night. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Just Beat A Team Still Hiding A Problem That Matters
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Korchinski, who recently signed a two-year contract, has gotten a real opportunity with the lineup shifting around him, and Blashill has been watching how he handles it. Chicago is also waiting on Andrew Mangiapane to get healthy and on Connor Bedards recovery from shoulder surgery, with the next stretch at home against the Blues and Hurricanes offering a chance to settle things down before the calendar turns deeper into November. [Read more 🡒]