Blackhawks Show Grit in Grueling Stretch, Grab Crucial Points in Playoff Push
Three games in four nights. Two of them back-to-back.
All against elite competition: the Carolina Hurricanes, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. That’s a brutal stretch for any NHL team, let alone a young Chicago Blackhawks squad still finding its identity.
But instead of folding, the Blackhawks dug in and showed real signs of growth - and maybe, just maybe, the first glimmers of a team learning how to compete when it matters.
Back-to-Back Battles: Shootout Drama and Statement Efforts
It started with a thriller in Carolina. The Hurricanes are one of the league’s most structurally sound teams, and the Blackhawks matched them stride for stride.
Things got physical early - Oliver Moore dropped the gloves with Alexander Nikishin after Nikishin laid a hit on Nick Lardis. It was Moore’s first NHL fight, and it showed - Nikishin landed three clean shots under Moore’s left eye.
But the rookie wasn’t done.
With a cut under his eye and the game on the line in the shootout, Moore stepped up on his 21st birthday and buried what turned out to be the winner. Talk about resilience. The Blackhawks left Carolina with a 4-3 shootout win, and Moore left with a shiner and a memory he won’t forget.
The next night, the Blackhawks were back home at the United Center to face Tampa Bay. Back-to-backs are always tough - and Chicago’s track record in the second leg hasn’t exactly inspired confidence. Just ask anyone who watched the 9-3 loss in Buffalo back in November.
But this time, the tone was set early. Captain Nick Foligno dropped the gloves with Jack Finley just minutes into the first period. The veteran taught the rookie a lesson, and the message was clear: this wasn’t going to be a rollover game.
Despite being outshot heavily - the Bolts had 20 more shots - Chicago hung around. Ryan Greene stayed hot, netting a first-period goal to put the Hawks up 1-0.
Nikita Kucherov answered for Tampa, and the game eventually went to another shootout. This time, it was former Blackhawks prospect Dominic James who played spoiler, scoring the winner for the Lightning.
Still, the fact that Chicago pushed two of the league’s top teams to the brink on consecutive nights says a lot. These are the kinds of games the Blackhawks would’ve let slip away earlier in the season. Now, they’re showing they can hang - even when the deck is stacked.
Playoff Picture: Still a Long Shot, But There’s Life
After picking up a point against the Minnesota Wild earlier in the week, the Blackhawks now sit six points out of a wild card spot with 51 points. That may not sound like much, but for a team that’s been in rebuild mode for years, this is uncharted territory this late in the season.
In fact, in recent seasons, 51 points was close to the final tally - not a midseason checkpoint. The Blackhawks were in a playoff spot as recently as Thanksgiving before injuries derailed their momentum. Now, with 29 games left, there’s still a sliver of hope.
Realistically, it would take a near-perfect run and a little help from teams ahead of them in the standings. But the fact that they’re even in the conversation is a win in itself. And with the March 6 trade deadline looming, Chicago’s front office still has decisions to make - especially when it comes to their pending unrestricted free agents.
Let’s be clear: the Blackhawks are still the sixth-worst team in the NHL by standings. But they’re not playing like it.
And that’s what makes this stretch so intriguing. Even if the playoff dream doesn’t materialize, this team is getting a taste of meaningful hockey.
That’s invaluable for the young core - guys like Ryan Greene, Oliver Moore, and, of course, Connor Bedard.
Bedard may still be sidelined, but his presence looms large. He’ll be 21 next season, and the franchise is clearly building around him. These kinds of competitive games, even in January, are laying the foundation.
The Florida Finale: A Tough Ending, But Not Without Fight
The three-game gauntlet ended with a 5-1 loss to the Panthers. On paper, it looks like a blowout - but for two periods, the Blackhawks were right there. It was a 1-1 game heading into the third before Florida flipped the switch and scored four unanswered.
That final frame was rough, no doubt. But the effort over the full stretch can’t be ignored.
Three points out of six against three of the NHL’s best? That’s the kind of result this team can build on.
Looking Ahead: Set the Standard
If the Blackhawks want to keep this thing interesting, they’ll need to treat every one of the remaining 29 games like they did this past stretch - with urgency, grit, and belief. The playoffs might be a long shot, but the opportunity to grow, compete, and show what the future could look like? That’s very much alive.
And if this past week is any indication, the Blackhawks aren’t just playing out the string. They’re learning how to battle - and that’s the first step toward becoming a team that wins when it counts.