Artyom Levshunov ended it, but this one belonged to Connor Bedard from the jump.
The Blackhawks stayed perfect with Bedard in the lineup, outlasting the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 in overtime Thursday at the United Center. Chicago has now won two straight since Bedard returned from offseason shoulder surgery, and the captain was central to everything again - including the setup on the game-winner.
Bedard opened the scoring on a 5-on-3 power play, then later delivered the behind-the-back feed that sent Levshunov into the slot for the overtime winner. It was Levshunov’s first career game-winning goal, and it capped a night in which both he and Bedard scored for the first time this season. Frank Nazar and Ryan Donato also scored for Chicago, while Spencer Knight made 31 saves for his third win of the season.
Winnipeg got goals from Neal Pionk, Kyle Connor and Alex Iafallo, but Stuart Skinner allowed four goals on 28 shots and took his first career loss to the Blackhawks.
Chicago came out flying in the first period and built a 3-1 lead. Bedard got things started at 8:11 on the power play with a curl-and-drag release that beat Skinner blocker side.
Patrick Kane picked up the primary assist, giving him his first of two assists on the night and moving him past Phil Housley for the most assists in NHL history among American-born players. Bertuzzi earned the secondary assist for his 200th career helper.
Nazar followed with a breakaway finish at 15:10, then the Jets answered quickly when Pionk’s shot from the point deflected off Ethan Del Mastro and in at 16:57. Chicago restored its two-goal cushion just 14 seconds later when Donato cut through the zone and beat Skinner for his second goal of the season.
The Blackhawks carried that 3-1 lead into the first intermission, but Winnipeg took over from there. The Jets tilted the ice in the second and third periods, outshooting Chicago 25-12 over the final two frames and owning a 30-14 edge in scoring chances. The Blackhawks also found themselves giving back another multi-goal lead, just as they had against Pittsburgh.
Connor trimmed it to 3-2 early in the second with a power-play goal that extended his scoring streak to four games and gave him eight goals on the season, tying Kirill Kaprizov for the NHL lead. Then Iafallo tied it in the third by redirecting Pionk’s point shot past Knight at 5:39.
Knight helped drag Chicago to overtime with a string of big stops late, and the post bailed him out more than once. His biggest moment came in overtime, when he denied Pionk from point-blank range to keep the game alive.
A few moments later, Bedard made the play that decided it. Working at the top of the offensive zone, he flipped a behind-the-back pass to Levshunov, who skated into space and ripped the puck into the top corner at 1:37. That was enough to give Chicago a 4-3 win and a 3-5-0 record through eight games.
The Blackhawks return Saturday against the Dallas Stars in the first meeting between the teams this season.
In Other News...
Anton Frondell Is Giving Blackhawks Fans Hope They Desperately Needed
The early weeks of the Blackhawks season were a grind, with Connor Bedard sidelined for the first six games and the team trying to steady itself around a thin margin for error. In the middle of that uncertainty, Anton Frondell has given Chicago something it badly needed: a young forward who looks comfortable handling real responsibility, not just flashes. He has already become a notable part of the Blackhawks effort on faceoffs and the penalty kill, the kind of usage that says the coaching staff trusts him in situations beyond the usual rookie runway.
Frondells rise has fit neatly alongside the return of Bedard, whose presence has helped the team string together consecutive wins and ease some of the pressure that had built during the rough start. For Chicago, the encouraging part is not just that Frondell has produced, but that he has done it while looking like a player who can be leaned on in a variety of roles. The Blackhawks are still sorting out what this season can become, but a rookie earning that kind of trust gives them a much better reason to believe. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Finally Have A Real Chance To Build On This Start
After a rough opening stretch, the Blackhawks have started to look more like a team with some direction, and a big reason is simple: the forward group is finally getting healthy. Connor Bedards return earlier than expected from shoulder surgery gave the lineup an immediate lift, and the recent reinforcements have helped stabilize a group that needed more skill and more options up front. The difference has shown up in the results, with the team playing better hockey as the roster has filled back in.
Jeff Blashill has talked about what it means when the forwards are available and contributing, and the confidence level around the team has clearly changed with that fuller group on the ice. Frank Nazars return from suspension, along with Patrick Kane and Anton Frondell being back in the lineup, gives Chicago more speed, more depth and more ways to attack. The bigger question now is whether this stretch can become something more than a brief reset, because this is the first real chance the Blackhawks have had to see what this version of the roster can actually build toward. [Read more 🡒]
Roman Kantserov Is Giving Blackhawks Fans A New Reason To Watch
Roman Kantserov has started to look more comfortable in a Blackhawks sweater at just the right time, and his recent run has given fans a fresh reason to tune in. After settling in through his early games, he has found his footing on the first line with Connor Bedard and Patrick Kane, a spot that can accelerate a young players growth in a hurry. The result has been a burst of offense, highlighted by his first career goal and a multi-goal night that showed why the organization has been eager to see what he can do.
The bigger question now is how much of this stretch can carry over as the season goes on. Playing alongside Bedard and Kane gives Kantserov a chance to learn from two of the most influential players on the roster while also giving the Blackhawks another developing scorer to watch closely. For a team looking for signs of progress, his recent production has been one of the more encouraging developments, and it may only be the beginning of a much more interesting rookie year. [Read more 🡒]