Every Monday, we bring you the Blackhawks Weekly Recap, covering everything from the NHL roster to the AHL Rockford IceHogs and top prospects in the system.
We’ll review the week’s results, highlight standout performances, and close out with our Three Stars of the Week across all levels.
This recap covers games from Monday to Sunday (Week 8).
Game 1: Blackhawks 3 – Wild 4 (OT)
Chicago dropped a tight one in overtime, falling 4–3 to the Minnesota Wild despite controlling large stretches of the game. The Blackhawks came out flying, outshooting Minnesota 20–5 in the first period and carrying the pace through the opening 40 minutes. Jason Dickinson opened the scoring early in the second, and Connor Bedard made it 2–0 minutes later with a quick finish off a great setup by Sam Rinzel. A third goal from Tyler Bertuzzi was overturned on an offside challenge — a key turning point in the game.
Minnesota pushed back late in the second and tied the game in the third with goals from Brock Faber and Nico Sturm. Artyom Levshunov restored the lead with the first goal of his NHL career, jumping into the play and beating Gustavsson on a slick backhand. But the Wild answered again when Matt Boldy cleaned up a rebound in front to make it 3–3.
Overtime didn’t last long. After an interference penalty to Ilya Mikheyev, Kirill Kaprizov ended the night on a 4-on-3 power play, wiring a shot under the bar at 1:38. Despite the loss, Chicago played well enough to win, showing structure, pace, and pushback — but a few key mistakes swung the result.
Game 2: Blackhawks 3 – Predators 4
Chicago couldn’t build on its strong effort from earlier in the week, falling 4–3 to Nashville and extending the losing skid. Ryan Donato opened the scoring late in the first with a clean wrist shot off a transition feed from Sam Rinzel, but the game unraveled in the second period. Nashville struck three times in the middle frame — goals from Matthew Wood, Steven Stamkos, and Luke Evangelista — turning a tight matchup into a chase for the Blackhawks.
Chicago briefly pushed back when Ryan Greene buried a power-play goal in the second, taking a slick pass from Oliver Moore to tie it 2–2 before the Predators regained control. Nashville added a fourth early in the third when Ryan O’Reilly finished a passing play in the slot to make it 4–2. Teuvo Teravainen pulled Chicago within one midway through the period, jumping on a bounce off the end boards and tucking it into an open net, but that was as close as the Hawks would get.
Arvid Söderblom kept the score respectable with 25 saves, but Chicago never found the pace, urgency, or structure it showed against Minnesota. Instead, defensive lapses, slow transitions, and inconsistent pressure allowed Nashville to dictate most of the night.
Game 3: Blackhawks 5 – Ducks 3
Chicago snapped its five-game skid in dramatic fashion, storming back from a brutal 3–0 first-period deficit to beat the Ducks 5–3 at the United Center. The opening minute was a nightmare — Anaheim scored twice in the first 47 seconds, then added a third midway through the period. But instead of folding, the Blackhawks started building piece by piece. Tyler Bertuzzi got the comeback rolling with a power-play tip late in the first, giving Chicago a spark before the intermission.
The momentum carried over. Ryan Greene buried a one-timer off a perfect feed from Connor Bedard to make it 3–2 early in the second, and Colton Dach tied the game on another power play, hammering home a pass from Teuvo Teravainen. Chicago controlled the rest of the night with pace and pressure, turning the game around shift by shift.
The third belonged to Bedard. After a Ducks turnover down low, he jumped on a loose puck and tucked home the go-ahead goal at 9:55 — just 46 seconds after Anaheim switched goalies due to an injury to Petr Mrazek. Bedard then sealed the win with an empty-netter in the final minutes, finishing a four-point night (2G, 2A) and one of Chicago’s most resilient efforts of the season.
Spencer Knight was sharp after the rough start, stopping 23 shots and settling the group. Chicago’s special teams were a major factor, going 2-for-3 on the power play and winning key momentum swings.
Coach’s Take
This was a roller-coaster week for Chicago — three very different games that showed both the growing pains and the potential of a young team learning how to win in the NHL. The good news? Even at 1–1–1, the Hawks played competitive hockey in all three matchups and continue to establish an identity built on speed, resilience, and star power.
The issue early in the week was finishing. Against Minnesota and Nashville, Chicago generated chances, held leads, and carried long stretches of play, but couldn’t close the door. Small lapses — a missed assignment, a turnover, a slow change — ended up being the difference in tight games. That’s the painful part of development, and the Hawks are living it night after night.
But the response on Sunday was exactly what you want to see. Down 3–0 after a disastrous opening minute against the Ducks, the group didn’t fold. They didn’t splinter. They pushed. They built momentum shift by shift, leaned on special teams, and let their stars take over. Bedard put the team on his back in the third, and the rest of the lineup followed with structure, pace, and urgency.
That comeback win is the story of the week — not the losses. It showed maturity, belief, and growth. Chicago isn’t a finished product, but they’re a team that competes, stays connected, and doesn’t quit. And for a rebuilding group with a young core, that’s exactly the foundation you want to see as December begins.
Team Performance Overview
| Category | Week | Season | NHL Rank |
| Record | 1-1-1 | 11-9-5 | 20th |
| Goals For | 11 | 80 | 12th |
| Goals Against | 11 | 73 | 13th |
| Goal Differential | 0 | 7 | |
| GF/GP | 3.67 | 3.20 | 13th |
| GA/GP | 3.67 | 2.88 | 8th |
| Power Play | 20.0 | 24.3 | 5th |
| Penalty Kill | 90.0 | 84.1 | 7th |
| Shots/GP | 27.3 | 25.2 | 28th |
| Shots Against/GP | 26.7 | 30.3 | 27th |
| Faceoff % | 46.5 | 46.7 | 28th |
Blackhawks Player Highlights
Connor Bedard 3G 3a 6PTS TOI 22:09 GWG FO%: 48.7 13SOG
Ryan Greene 2G 2PTS TOI 17:29 6SOG +2
Frank Nazar 2A 2PTS TOI 19:02 5SOG
Teuvo Teravainen 1G 1A 2PTS TOI: 19:05 2SOG
6 other players with 2 points each
IceHogs Weekly Summary (Record: 1–1–1)
Game 1: Chicago Wolves 8, Rockford IceHogs 4
The IceHogs opened the week with a tough one at home, falling 8-4 to the rival Chicago Wolves in a wild back-and-forth game that got away early.
Chicago came out flying and jumped to a 3–0 lead in the first 10 minutes. Gleb Trikozov found space alone in front, Gavin Bayreuther scored shorthanded on a breakaway, and Josiah Slavin buried a rebound to put the Hogs in a deep hole.
Rockford showed fight to start the second. Gavin Hayes refused to be denied, jamming home his third attempt just 28 seconds into the period to make it 3–1. But the Wolves answered right back with two power-play goals from Evan Vierling (tip) and Ronan Seeley to extend the lead to 5–1.
The Hogs didn’t quit. Samuel Savoie tipped in a shorthanded marker set up by Dominic Toninato, but Chicago again responded on a breakaway from Skyler Brind’Amour. Late in the period, a weird bounce off the back glass hit the goalie and dropped in from Kevin Korchinski, giving Rockford a little momentum heading to the third, down 6–3.
In the final frame, Rockford made an aggressive goalie pull with 17 minutes left, but the Wolves quickly hit the empty net to make it 7–3. Hayes scored again for his second of the night, but Blake Biondi sealed it with another breakaway, closing the door at 8–4 Chicago.
Game 2: Milwaukee 3, Rockford 2 (OT)
The IceHogs battled hard on Friday night but came up just short, losing 3–2 in overtime to the division-rival Milwaukee Admirals. Rockford still picked up an important point in the standings.
The game exploded right away with three fights in the first ten minutes — Marcel Marcel, Andrew Perrott, and Taige Harding all dropped the gloves and set the tone in front of a loud BMO crowd.
Rockford opened the scoring late in the 1st period with a shorthanded beauty. Jamie Engelbert poked the puck loose at the blue line, raced in on a breakaway, and beat Matt Murray with a smooth forehand finish to make it 1–0.
Milwaukee tied it 1–1 early in the 2nd when Tanner Molendyk’s shot deflected off Joakim Kemell in front. The Ads took a 2–1 lead midway through the 3rd when Ryder Rolston tipped a point shot past Stanislav Berezhnoy.
But Rockford answered back. With seven minutes left, Nick Lardis led the rush and set up Brett Seney, who fired a perfect shot over the shoulder of Murray to tie it 2–2 and force overtime.
In OT, Milwaukee earned a power play and converted at 1:59 when Oasiz Weisblatt ripped home the game-winner to give the Admirals the extra point.
Game 3: Milwaukee 2, Rockford 3 (OT)
The IceHogs closed the week strong with a huge 3–2 road win in Milwaukee, powered by a breakout performance from rookie Nick Lardis, who absolutely took over the third period.
Milwaukee scored early at 3:11 of the 1st when Andrew Gibson blasted his first of the year past Drew Commesso. But Rockford stayed patient and slowly pushed back.
The Hogs had a long stretch of 5-on-3 time in the 2nd, but Milwaukee’s Magnus Chrona held the fort until Rockford finally broke through late. At 16:03, Joey Anderson found a loose puck during a crease scramble and buried his 4th to tie the game 1–1.
Then the third period belonged to one man.Rockford started the period on a four-minute power play, and Lardis wasted no time. Set up for a one-timer in the circle, he hammered home his 10th of the season to give the Hogs a 2–1 lead.
But he wasn’t done.Minutes later, Lardis stole the puck at the defensive blue line, burst in alone, and snapped in a breakaway goal for his second of the night — and a huge insurance marker to make it 3–1.
Milwaukee got one back late with the goalie pulled, but Commesso shut the door the rest of the way, finishing with 25 saves in the victory.
Three Stars of the Week
Blackhawks
1️⃣ Connor Bedard 3G 3A 6PTS TOI 22:09 GWG 13SOG
2️⃣ Ryan Green 2G 2PTS TOI 17:29 6SOG
3️⃣ Colton Dach 1G 1A 2PTS 6SOG 6HITS
IceHogs
1️⃣ Nick Lardis 2G 1A 3PTS 8SOG
2️⃣ Joey Anderson 1G 2A 3 PTS 11SOG
3️⃣ Gavin Hayes 2G 2 PTS 8 SOG
Prospects
1️⃣ Vaclav Nestrasil 2G 1A 3PTS
2️⃣ Roman Kantserov 2G 2PTS
3️⃣ AJ Spellacy 2G 1A 3PTS
Final Thoughts
Week 8 was a mixed bag for the Blackhawks, but it ended with the kind of emotional swing this young group needed. Chicago played stretches of strong, structured hockey against Minnesota and Nashville but struggled to finish games and paid the price in tight moments. Those are the growing pains of a developing roster — small details turning into big turning points.
But the story of the week was the response. Down 3–0 to Anaheim in the opening minute, the Blackhawks could have folded. Instead, they dug in, leaned on special teams, and let their young core take over. Bedard’s four-point third period wasn’t just a highlight — it was a reminder of what this team is capable of when they stay connected and push the pace.
For a group still figuring out how to win consistently, this week showed both sides of the journey: the frustration of missed opportunities and the promise of resilience. Chicago’s compete level remains strong, the effort is genuine, and the identity continues to take shape. Now the challenge is turning that fight and belief into consistent results as they head into a new month.
Next Week Schedule
Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
- Tue, Dec. 2 – at Vegas Golden Knights – 9:00 PM
- Thu, Dec. 4 – at Los Angeles Kings – 9:00 PM
- Sat, Dec. 6 – vs Los Angeles Kings – 8:00 PM
- Sun, Dec. 7 – vs Anaheim Ducks – 7:00 PM
Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
- Fri, Dec. 5 – vs Colorado Eagles – 7:00 PM
- Sat, Dec. 6 – vs Colorado Eagles – 7:00 PM
KEEP READING:
Blackhawks Weekly Recap: (Week 1
Blackhawks Weekly Recap (Week 2)
Blackhawks Weekly Recap (Week 3)
Blackhawks Weekly Recap (Week 4)
Blackhawks Weekly Recap (Week 5)
Blackhawks Weekly Recap (Week 6)
Blackhawks Week in Review:Week 7
Blackhawks October Report Card
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