The Blackhawks had this one in their hands - and then they didn’t.
After jumping out to a commanding three-goal lead on the road against the Minnesota Wild, Chicago watched it slip away, falling 4-3 in a shootout Tuesday night in St. Paul.
It was a gut-punch of a loss, especially given how well the Blackhawks played for most of the night at even strength. But as has been the case far too often this season, special teams - or more specifically, a power play that’s gone ice cold - proved to be the difference.
Let’s start with the good.
Teuvo Teravainen wasted no time making his presence felt in his return from injury, jamming home a loose puck just over a minute into the game to give Chicago the early lead. It was the kind of greasy goal that sets a tone - and for a while, it looked like the Hawks were going to ride that momentum all night.
Later in the first, Ryan Donato doubled the lead with a blistering shot from between the circles after a fortunate bounce landed on his stick. Then, midway through the second period, Alex Vlasic sprung Ilya Mikheyev on a rush with a sharp outlet pass, and Mikheyev buried it with a clean snipe to make it 3-0. At that point, it felt like Chicago had full control.
But the Wild had other plans.
Minnesota’s comeback started about seven minutes after Mikheyev’s goal. Yakov Trenin turned on the jets through the neutral zone, burned Matt Grzelcyk wide, and beat Spencer Knight with a pinpoint shot. It was the kind of individual effort that can ignite a team - and it did.
Early in the third, Quinn Hughes did what Quinn Hughes does - danced through traffic, got a shot on net, and Joel Eriksson Ek cleaned up the rebound to cut the deficit to one. And with just two minutes left in regulation, Jared Spurgeon jumped on a loose puck near the crease and tucked it in to tie the game.
Chicago had a golden opportunity to end things in overtime with a 4-on-3 power play but came up empty - again. That led to a shootout, where Kirill Kaprizov scored the lone goal while Frank Nazar, Connor Bedard, and Donato couldn’t solve Jesper Wallstedt.
That marks six shootouts for the Blackhawks since Christmas and three in their last four games. They’ve now gone 22 consecutive power plays without a goal. That’s not just a slump - it’s a full-blown crisis.
And that’s what makes this loss sting a little more. Because outside of the power play, Chicago played some of its best hockey of the season.
At 5-on-5, the Blackhawks controlled the game. According to Natural Stat Trick, they led in shot attempts (41-34), shots on goal (21-14), scoring chances (23-19), and high-danger chances (10-6). Their expected goal share was 62.6% - their fourth-best mark in any game this season.
The top line of Bedard, Nazar, and Teravainen was electric. In just under 12 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time together, they posted a 16-6 edge in shot attempts, 11-3 in shots on goal, and 6-1 in high-danger chances.
That’s a 74.85% expected goal share - and they did most of that against Minnesota’s top defensive pairing of Hughes and Brock Faber. That’s not nothing.
Bedard was everywhere, finishing with eight shots on goal. Nazar added four and continued to show off the speed and vision that made him a top prospect.
One sequence in particular stood out - Bedard floated a perfect saucer pass to Nazar, who chipped it on net in one fluid motion. It didn’t go in, but it was a glimpse of the kind of chemistry this duo is building.
If Nazar can find the back of the net soon, the floodgates might open.
Wyatt Kaiser also deserves a nod. He’s quietly been one of Chicago’s most consistent performers in recent weeks, and he had another strong showing in this one.
In the second period, he created a scoring chance all by himself - stealing the puck, weaving through traffic, and getting a backhander on net. He’s not always flashy, but he’s been effective.
Now, let’s talk about the collapse.
Yes, blowing a 3-0 lead is brutal. But this wasn’t a case of the Blackhawks sitting back and getting steamrolled.
They continued to generate chances and control play. The Wild’s goals came from individual brilliance (Trenin), a rebound off a highlight-reel play (Hughes to Eriksson Ek), and a scramble in front (Spurgeon).
None of those scream systemic failure.
One power-play goal probably changes the outcome. That’s the most frustrating part - the Hawks were the better team for most of the night but couldn’t cash in when it mattered most.
Head coach Jeff Blashill summed it up well after the game: “When you take the emotion out of it - which is, obviously, we’re frustrated - the chances we [tracked] were 23-14, us. You’re going to win that game 98% of the time.
We just didn’t win it tonight. I thought that’s the best we’ve played in a while, to be honest.”
And he’s not wrong. If you’re focused on process over results - which, let’s be honest, is what this season is about - there’s plenty to build on.
Bedard and Nazar are developing real chemistry. The team controlled possession.
The defense looked more composed. The effort was there.
But the power play? That’s the elephant in the room.
It needs fixing - and fast. Because if this group can start converting with the man advantage, games like this one start tilting in Chicago’s favor.
Three Stars
- Joel Eriksson Ek (MIN) - 1 goal, 1 assist
- Connor Bedard (CHI) - 1 assist, 8 SOG
- Kirill Kaprizov (MIN) - Shootout winner
What’s Next
The Blackhawks head to Pittsburgh for a Thursday night matchup against the Penguins. Puck drops at 6 p.m. CT.