The wait is over. In front of a United Center crowd that came to welcome Patrick Kane back, the Chicago Blackhawks beat the St. Louis Blues 4-2 on Tuesday night for the Hawks first win of the 2026-27 season. They are now 1-3-0 after an 0-3 opening road trip.
Kane did not score. He had no points, two shots, and a two-minute penalty. But he played 20:55, more than any other Chicago forward, and the young players around him did the damage: Sam Rinzel, Anton Frondell, Cole Smith and Frank Nazar each scored. Spencer Knight gave the team the goaltending it needed.
How It Happened
Chicago had the first power play of the night, drawn early in the first period, and it did not score. The Blackhawks then had to kill Kane’s interference penalty. Five-on-five play was close, with Chicago holding a slim edge in shot attempts and each team getting one high-danger chance at even strength. The one mistake decided the period: a Nick Lardis turnover led to Mason McTavish’s wrist shot past Knight at 15:38, set up by Connor McMichael. St. Louis took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
The game turned early in the second. The Hawks got a second power play after a Ross Johnston interference penalty, and this time Rinzel made it count, scoring with a wrist shot at 5:40 on a pass from Nazar, with Nick Lardis getting the second assist. Two minutes later, at 7:40, Frondell snapped one home at even strength for a 2-1 lead, assisted by Artyom Levshunov and Teuvo Teravainen.
That lead held until the end. With Hofer pulled for the extra attacker late in the third, Smith scored an unassisted empty-net goal at 18:51 while the Hawks was shorthanded to make it 3-1. McMichael answered at 19:22 with a power-play goal on a pass from Philip Broberg and Pavel Buchnevich, and the final minute got tense. But Nazar sealed it with a backhand into the empty net at 19:56, set up by Tyler Bertuzzi and Frondell, to close out the 4-2 win.
Hawks Injury Report
The win came with a cost. Forward Teuvo Teravainen did not come out for the third period after an apparent lower-body injury in the second; he finished with 9:31 of ice time and an assist on Frondell’s goal. Head coach Jeff Blashill said Teravainen will not travel with the team to Thursday’s game at the New York Islanders and that the team should know more “in the next couple of days.”
There was good news on the back end. Hawks defenseman Bowen Byram returned to the lineup after missing the 4-3 loss at Buffalo for family reasons. He played 21:22, finished plus-1, and had two shots on goal.
Before the Puck Drop: Kane’s Return
Kane signed a two-year deal with Chicago this summer after weighing the Hawks against his hometown Buffalo Sabres, per the Chicago Sun-Times. The franchise traded him in 2023, and when he came back to the United Center with Detroit in February 2024, he received a long standing ovation.
Before this game, Kane admitted he did not know what kind of reception to expect, but he was clear about the team’s outlook: “a lot of potential in the room,” even after the slow start. Head coach Jeff Blashill spoke about the belief Kane brings to the rink every day that the team can win.
Coach’s Take
This was a much better Hawks performance than what we saw in the first three games. It was not perfect, but it was better, and the reason was easy to see. The team defended harder in its own zone and played with more passion. Effort, competitive level, and speed are what got Chicago out with the win.
Levshunov was at his best. Artyom Levshunov played his best game of the season, and you could see it in all three phases. He set the tone early with physical, confident play, then took over with the puck in the second period. His pass to start the sequence that ended in Anton Frondell’s go-ahead goal was one of the nicest plays of the night, and it earned him an assist and a plus-1. One shift told the whole story: a Blues player tied up his legs in the offensive zone, Levshunov broke free, and he immediately called for the puck again. That is a defenseman who believes in himself and takes what he wants. This is the Levshunov the Blackhawks have always believed in, and they need him at this level every night.
Rinzel bounced back. Sam Rinzel was a healthy scratch at Buffalo, and he answered with his first goal of the season. The expectations on him are high, and this was a good game from him, on a power-play goal that tied the game when it needed a lift.
Knight gave them a chance. Spencer Knight was a big reason for the win. He stopped 26 of 28 shots (.929), his first .900 night of the season after starts of .889 and .857. When St. Louis pushed late, he made the saves that protected the lead.
Frondell and Nazar produced. Anton Frondell had a second straight two-point game, and he looks more comfortable and is skating better. The game still looks fast for him, but as it slows down in front of his eyes, he is going to be a solid NHL player. Frank Nazar also finished with two points, his first two of the season.
In the end, this win was the cherry on top of one of the best homecomings you will see for Patrick Kane.
Next Game
The Blackhawks hit the road again Thursday, October 8, at the New York Islanders (7:30 p.m. ET). They return home Saturday, October 10, to host the Carolina Hurricanes (7:00 p.m. ET).
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