The Chicago Blackhawks watched a dominant start slip away onTuesday night. They blew a 3–0 lead and fell 4–3 (1-0) via shootout to the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena.
Chicago couldn’t have drawn it up much better early. Teuvo Teravainen, back in the lineup after missing time, opened the scoring just 1:19 into the first period, finishing a rebound after Connor Bedard’s initial tip. It was Teravainen’s 10th goal of the season, and his return immediately made an impact alongside Bedard and Frank Nazar.
Ryan Donato made it 2–0 late in the opening frame, snapping a 12-game goal drought with his 11th of the season, blasting a slap shot from the left hashmarks after forcing a turnover. The Blackhawks carried a 2–0 lead and a 14–8 edge in shots on goal into the first intermission, clearly dictating play.
The momentum continued into the second period when Ilya Mikheyev extended the lead to 3–0 at 5:54, wiring a wrist shot past Jesper Wallstedt for his 10th goal of the season. Mikheyev now has five points in his last five games, continuing one of his strongest stretches of the year.
But Minnesota slowly clawed back. Yakov Trenin got the Wild on the board at 12:33 of the second period, cutting the deficit to 3–1. Joel Eriksson Ek pulled Minnesota within one early in the third, finishing from the doorstep after a point shot kicked his way.
With time winding down and Wallstedt pulled for the extra attacker, Wild captain Jared Spurgeon tied the game at 17:58 of the third period, burying a rebound to erase the three-goal deficit and force overtime.
Chicago survived overtime, including a late 4-on-3 power play where they generated six shots, but once again couldn’t find the finish. Minnesota killed the penalty, and the game went to a shootout — another skills competition deciding a game that Chicago largely controlled.
Kirill Kaprizov was the only skater to score in the shootout, lifting the Wild to the extra point and completing the comeback.
Spencer Knight made 20 saves for Chicago, while Wallstedt stopped 29 shots for Minnesota, which improved to 4-1-1 in its last six games.
Despite the loss, this was one of the Blackhawks’ most complete performances in recent weeks. Chicago owned a 23–14 edge in scoring chances, controlled long stretches of play, and saw its top line thrive. The Teravainen–Bedard–Nazar trio finished the night with a 72.73 Corsi For percentage, 74.85 xGF, and an outstanding 85.71 HDSC%, dominating territorially and creating consistent quality looks.
Still, the same issues resurfaced. The Blackhawks’ power play went 0-for-5, extending a brutal stretch to 0-for-22 over the last eight games. Simply put, games like this are won with power-play goals — and Chicago didn’t get one when it mattered most.
The loss was also unusual by Chicago’s standards. The Blackhawks entered the night 13-2-2 when leading after 40 minutes, but surrendered three unanswered goals to let Minnesota back into the game late in the third.
On the road, however, Chicago has been strong, now 4-0-1 in its last five away games, making this one sting even more. Five minutes of overtime and multiple late chances weren’t enough, and once again, the outcome came down to execution — not effort.
Chicago did a lot right Tuesday night. They just couldn’t close it out.
Inside the Locker Room
Jeff Blashill (Head Coach):
“I mean, it’s a 3–nothing lead — that’s a little bit unfortunate. But when you take the emotion out of it, even though we’re obviously frustrated, the chances were 23–14 for us. You’re going to win that game 98 percent of the time. We just didn’t tonight.
Honestly, I thought that was the best we’ve played in a while. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves because we gave up a late lead and lost in the shootout. We have to learn from it and be ready to play the same way on Thursday.”
Ryan Donato:
“Obviously, that’s a good club over there. They find ways to win games. I think we battled hard, we competed, and we had our chances to finish it. It’s unfortunate.
We did a lot of good things tonight, and I think we played well as a team. It’s hard not to get emotional and focus on the loss, but at the end of the day, there are things we can build on. We just have to find a way to close it out.”
My Observation:
Tough Loss — But This Is the Reality of a Rebuild
This was a tough loss, no question — but it’s also part of the rebuild process.
For a young team like the Chicago Blackhawks, nights like this are painful, but they are also necessary learning moments. Young players must learn what it truly takes to become NHL professionals: surviving an 82-game season, handling momentum swings, protecting a lead, and most importantly, closing games when you have the advantage.
Playing meaningful hockey matters. Being in games late (9–7–9 record this season 1 goal differential), holding leads, and understanding how to manage pressure situations are all steps in that development. The Blackhawks don’t often find themselves leading by three goals midway through a game — and when they do, that experience matters.
Tonight, they learned the hard way.
They lost a three-goal lead, then surrendered two goals in the third period, and ultimately lost in the shootout. In hockey, we often say you don’t lose games — you learn from them. This was one of those nights.
We often talk about the “hammer goal” — the goal that breaks a team’s spirit and puts the game out of reach. Chicago had multiple chances to deliver that hammer. They had power plays at 3–1, 3–2, and 3–3, opportunities to bury the Wild and take full control of the game. They didn’t capitalize.
The best teams in the NHL find ways to close games. That’s a lesson this young Blackhawks group is still learning.
For fans, this kind of loss is frustrating — but it’s also exactly what a rebuilding team must face and grow through.
Why the Power Play Continues to Struggle
One major issue remains the power play — and it starts with the lack of a true quarterback.
In today’s NHL, you need a mobile, confident defenseman who can control the blue line, open lanes, and dictate puck movement. Right now, Chicago doesn’t have that player.
Artyom Levshunov isn’t there yet, and the Blackhawks don’t currently have a defenseman who can consistently walk the line and create space. Around the league, every top-10 power play has a clear QB: Makar, Heiskanen, Hughes, Seider, Hutson, Sanderson, and others.
This is an area Chicago must address — either through development or roster construction.
Opponents have figured out the Blackhawks’ power play. There’s no true one-timer threat from the point or the flank. No Bouchard. No Stamkos-type weapon. Without that threat, penalty kills stay compact and predictable.
To be more effective, Chicago needs to move away from the static umbrella and experiment more with overload looks and a power play built around the bumper position. That adjustment is part of the learning curve — and part of the rebuild.
Looking ahead, players like Kantserov, Lardis, and Frondell could become strong power-play contributors. But at the blue line, there are still real questions.
This is normal. This is development. Nights like this — as painful as they are — are part of the process.
Next Game
Thursday, January 29 6:00 PM CDT at Pittsburgh
The Blackhawks travel to Pittsburgh for a rematch against the Penguins, who earned a 7–3 win in Chicago on December 28.
Pittsburgh enters the matchup with confidence, and goaltender Stuart Skinner has been red-hot, posting a 4-1-0 record, 2.00 GAA, and .926 save percentage in his last 5 games.
