A winnable game slipped away from the Chicago Blackhawks during a disastrous second period Thursday night in Pittsburgh. After staying competitive early, Chicago completely unraveled as the Penguins poured in four goals in the middle frame and took full control of the game. Pittsburgh overwhelmed the Blackhawks with constant pressure, recording 44 shot attempts in the second period alone and outshooting Chicago 23–6 during that stretch.
The sustained zone time exposed Chicago’s young defense, with Wyatt Kaiser and Artyom Levshunov each finishing the night at minus-5. Missed coverages, slow recoveries, and difficulty handling Pittsburgh’s speed allowed the Penguins to turn a close game into a runaway, setting the tone for the rest of the night.
Game Summary: Second period fatal to Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks opened the scoring at 9:32 of the first period when Connor Murphy jumped into the play and scored from the high slot. The lead lasted just 1 minute and 52 seconds, as Connor Dewar tied the game at 11:24, scoring his 12th goal of the season to even things at 1–1.
From there, the game swung decisively in Pittsburgh’s favor. The Penguins took full control in the second period, scoring four goals and overwhelming Chicago with sustained pressure. Ben Kindel put Pittsburgh ahead early in the frame with his 11th goal of the season, followed by goals from Egor Chinakhov and Anthony Mantha, who scored 31 seconds apart to blow the game open. Ryan Shea capped the second-period surge late, giving Pittsburgh a commanding lead.
The Penguins dominated the middle period, generating 44 shot attempts and outshooting Chicago 23–6. Pittsburgh’s depth was on full display, as the bottom six drove the offense, with four of those six forwards finishing the night with two points each. Mantha led the way overall, finishing with three points (one goal, two assists).
Pittsburgh scored six consecutive goals stretching from the first period into the third, completely erasing Chicago’s early momentum. Dewar added his second goal of the night in the third period, while Connor Bedard scored his 21st goal of the season late to make it 6–2.
Despite the loss, Frank Nazar recorded two assists for Chicago. Arvid Söderblom made 38 saves, but faced constant pressure as the Blackhawks managed just 20 total shots. Söderblom has now gone 2–7–1 in his last 10 games, reflecting the difficult stretch Chicago has endured.
Chicago also lost veteran forward Nick Foligno, who played only two shifts before leaving midway through the first period and did not return. The Penguins closed out the game comfortably, earning their fifth straight win, while the Blackhawks dropped their fourth in a row as the gap between a confident contender and a rebuilding team was on full display.
Blackhawks postgame reaction
Head coach Jeff Blashill didn’t shy away from the reality of another difficult night, pointing directly to confidence and compete level as key issues.
“I think there’s a number of individuals that aren’t feeling it right now,” Blashill said. “That hurts your team’s confidence because the makeup of your players isn’t as confident. We’ve got to get some swagger back — but the only way to get that back is to earn it.”
Veteran defenseman Connor Murphy echoed that sentiment, highlighting careless puck play and a lack of execution that snowballed as the game went on.
“I feel like we shot ourselves in the foot with some of our puck play,” Murphy said. “Irresponsible breakouts, trouble getting across their blue line — and then it turns into defending all night. It became a lack of compete overall, man-to-man.”
Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk was equally blunt, noting the absence of pushback once the game slipped away.
“We just fell off the rails,” Grzelcyk said. “We didn’t show enough response, and that’s not the team we want to be. It’s a 5–1 game in the third period — you can be thinking about the next game, but you still have to respond. I don’t think we did a good enough job of that.”
Blashill also addressed the struggles of rookie defenseman Artyom Levshunov, calling it a learning moment rather than a surprise.
“I didn’t think he played good,” Blashill said. “For the pairing, it was a tough night. He’s got to rebound and play better than that. That’s part of the roller coaster we expected to see.”
The head coach summed it up plainly when asked about the team’s overall performance.
“When you lose stick battles, lose races, and turn pucks over at the blue line, you end up defending a lot. They spread us out and won battles in front. Too many guys weren’t good enough.”
My Observations
1. A Difficult Night for the Levshunov–Kaiser Pairing
It was a rough night for the defensive pairing of Artyom Levshunov and Wyatt Kaiser, as both finished the game at minus-5. During a rebuild, stretches like this are sometimes unavoidable for young players, especially prospects adjusting to the NHL pace. The key is learning from these moments and not repeating the same mistakes.
Much of the damage came down to decision-making. Levshunov appeared to drift into an aggressive, almost forward-like role during a chaotic sequence early in the second period, a breakdown that directly led to Pittsburgh’s go-ahead goal. From there, things unraveled quickly.
That pairing was on the ice for three Penguins goals in a four-minute span later in the period. Their shifts featured a mix of poor positioning, loose gap control, turnovers, missed reads, and a lack of urgency. Kaiser, who has been a bright spot for much of the season, endured one of his toughest outings. Levshunov, however, struggled the most, as tThe play was happening too fast
The numbers reflect how lopsided it was. The Penguins finished with a 15–6 edge in scoring chances during Levshunov’s ice time, marking a clear low point in what has been a difficult multi-week stretch for the rookie after a strong run around the New Year.
Head coach Jeff Blashill didn’t sugarcoat it afterward:
“I didn’t think he played good. Obviously, the pairing had a tough night. He’s got to rebound and play better.”
2. Söderblom’s Struggles Continue
Goaltender Arvid Söderblom continues to search for consistency. In 16 starts, he has posted only two games with a save percentage above .940, which simply isn’t enough at the NHL level. His season numbers — 5-9-2 record, 3.89 goals-against average, and .874 save percentage — paint a troubling picture.
Even more concerning, Söderblom has allowed four or more goals in nine games, while holding opponents to two goals or fewer just four times. In 11 of his 15 starts, his save percentage has been .890 or lower, and he is now 2-7-1 in his last 10 games.
While defensive breakdowns have played a role, the Blackhawks still need better and more reliable goaltending. Development doesn’t excuse results forever, and improvement is becoming a necessity rather than a bonus.
Next Game
The Blackhawks return home Friday, January 30, to host the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center. Columbus comes in hot, having won seven of its last eight games, making this a tough matchup to close out the month.
This will be Chicago’s final game of January, where the Blackhawks posted a 7-6-2 record.
Puck drop: 7:30 PM CDT
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Yea it seemed like both kids had zero instinct for the game last night after the 1st period, first time I’ve seen Arty kind of just flailing all over the defensive zone in the 2nd and 3rd period. Couple that with the holy Soda, my goodness he was terrible might as well play with 6 skaters
But I’m glad Soda played last night so i get to see Knight tonight.