The Chicago Blackhawks returned from the Olympic break with creaky legs and a lead that slipped through their fingers. In a game that was very much theirs to take, Chicago gave up three unanswered goals in the final frame and dropped a 4-2 decision to the Nashville Predators on Thursday night — the first stop of a critical four-game road trip that won’t get any easier.
A Slow Start and a Costly Giveaway
Juuse Saros was listed as a game-time decision before puck drop, and when the lineup cards were official, it was Justus Annunen between the pipes for Nashville — a Finnish backup who came into the night with something interesting on his resume: a perfect record against Chicago.
The Blackhawks spent much of the first period on the power play, earning back-to-back opportunities including a double minor after Erik Haula was called for high-sticking. They produced almost nothing. The penalty kill largely neutralized them, and during that extended stretch, it was actually Ryan O’Reilly who had Nashville’s best chance — spinning around a defender only to hit the iron with 10:58 left in the period.
Then came the giveaway that opened the scoring. Defenseman Artyom Levshunov — playing his first game back after spending the Olympic break in an individual development program aimed at sharpening his defensive instincts — made a poor decision trying to play the puck up the boards with Forsberg pressuring hard on the wall. Forsberg jumped on it, fired a wrist shot from the left circle, and beat Spencer Knight at 13:50 of the first.
Goal number 25 on the season for the Swedish forward, unassisted. Levshunov’s coach Jeff Blashill later said his defenseman “probably needed to eat it” but also pointed a finger at Frank Nazar for not providing support: “We took off up the ice like there was no pressure, but there was actually tons of pressure.”
Nashville led 1-0 after twenty minutes. Chicago had been dominated on the power play and had little to show for their extended man-advantage time.
Bedard Answers — A Career High and a Breakaway Robbery
Four minutes into the second period, Connor Bedard reminded everyone why he’s in a different category. Taking a backhand pass from Ryan Greene off the boards, Bedard wired a wrist shot past Annunen from the left circle at 4:13 to tie the game 1-1. It was his 24th goal of the season — a career high — and it came with authority.
Bedard was the story of the night for Chicago. He put five shots on net, controlled faceoffs (8-for-16), and generated “five or six Grade A chances” as he later described it postgame — a number Annunen had to answer for.
The biggest moment may have been a breakaway Annunen stoned. Bedard came in alone, all momentum, and the Finnish backup stood tall to deny what could have been a go-ahead goal and a momentum-shifting moment for the Hawks. “I thought Burky and Greener were unreal tonight,” Bedard said afterward, crediting his linemates. “That’s on me to put one more of those in and maybe it’s a different game.”
The period ended 1-1. Both teams had their moments. Chicago had life.
Bertuzzi Puts Chicago Ahead — Then It Falls Apart
The third period opened with the Blackhawks doing something they hadn’t done well for weeks: seizing control. At 3:16, on the power play, Tyler Bertuzzi scored his team-leading 26th goal of the season — and it was a beautiful sequence. Teuvo Teravainen fired from the point, the puck deflected to Bertuzzi in front of the net, and he collected the rebound and beat Annunen cleanly on the blocker side. Chicago led 2-1.
For a moment, it felt like the break had reset something for this team.
It hadn’t.
Nick Foligno took a penalty that, by the Blackhawks’ own admission, they could not afford in that situation. Nashville cashed in at 7:12 when Matthew Wood — scoring his 10th goal of the season and third on the power play — ripped a wrist shot from the right circle on a pass from Erik Haula to tie it 2-2.
Then came the gut punch. With 3:16 remaining and the game on the line, Ryan O’Reilly — a veteran who has been in these moments hundreds of times — redirected a Roman Josi pass from the slot through Knight’s five-hole to make it 3-2. The goal was described as O’Reilly outsmarting young Hawks defenseman Sam Rinzel on the tip. Nashville 3, Chicago 2.
Steven Stamkos sealed it with his 29th of the season into an empty net in the final minute. Final: 4-2 Predators.
| Stat | Chicago | Nashville |
| Goals | 2 | 4 |
| Shots on Net | 23 | 26 |
| Power Play | 1/5 | 1/1 |
| Faceoff % | 56.8% | 43.2% |
| Hits | 15 | 26 |
| Giveaways | 15 | 13 |
| Takeaways | 2 | 6 |
| Blocked Shots | 6 | 12 |
Annunen: The Quiet Villain
Here is the number you need to know about Justus Annunen and the Chicago Blackhawks: he is now a perfect 4-0 against them, with two shutouts and a .961 save percentage — compared to .889 with zero shutouts in 68 career games against the rest of the NHL. On Thursday night, the Finnish backup stopped 21 of 23 shots and made the saves that mattered, including the Bedard breakaway that could have changed everything.
Spencer Knight stopped 22 of 26 shots. He was beaten twice in the third period on legitimate goals — the fourth Nashville tally was an empty-netter with Knight on the bench.
The Bigger Picture
This was the Blackhawks’ first game of a four-game road trip — and as coach Jeff Blashill acknowledged, getting the lead in the third and not closing it out is a problem this team cannot keep repeating. They are 1-5-2 in their last eight games. Ten points out of a playoff spot. The rust from 22 days off was evident in every part of the game except Bedard, who looked like he never left.
Next up is Colorado, a team that is a significant step up in competition. The road trip isn’t getting easier.
For Nashville, this was a needed win. The Predators had dropped five of their last seven heading into the break, but Ryan O’Reilly’s clutch goal and a vintage third period showed there is still something to play for on Lower Broadway. They sit four points out of a wild-card spot.
Chicago continues their road trip Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche.
Blackhawks Standing (DRAFT)
With 24 games remaining and the trade deadline looming, the trajectory is clear — Chicago is heading deeper into the basement, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.
Following Thursday’s loss, the Blackhawks sit 29th overall, two points ahead of both St. Louis and New York Rangers, and one point behind Winnipeg and Calgary. Every game that slips away tightens their grip on a top draft position.
But here is the subplot worth watching closely: Chicago holds Florida’s first-round pick, protected only if it falls inside the top 10. The Panthers beat Toronto 5-1 Thursday night and sit 19th in the league — part of a four-team logjam at 63 points. If Florida continues to hover in that middle ground, that pick could land right in the 12-to-15 range, a very useful complement to what Chicago hopes will be a top-3 selection of their own.
A top-3 pick plus a mid-first? For a rebuild still in its early chapters, that is the kind of draft haul that changes a franchise’s timeline.
