The Chicago Blackhawks opened their three-game road trip through Canada on Tuesday night in Toronto facing adversity, playing without their best player in Connor Bedard and coming in with just one win in their last six games. Despite the circumstances, Chicago delivered one of its strongest efforts of the season, controlling the pace and frustrating the Maple Leafs for nearly 55 minutes before a late collapse turned a well-earned road win into a painful 3–2 loss.
The defeat dropped the Blackhawks to 1-5-0 in their last six games and marked the third time this season they have lost a game after leading at the start of the third period. Until Tuesday, Chicago had been reliable in those situations, holding an 8-2-1 record when entering the final frame with a lead. This time, however, the margin for error disappeared in a matter of seconds.
Game Summary
Chicago came out with speed and purpose, giving Toronto problems through the neutral zone and limiting clean zone entries early. The Blackhawks opened the scoring at 10:21 of the first period when Wyatt Kaiser jumped into the slot off a faceoff win and beat Joseph Woll with a wrist shot. The goal was Kaiser’s third of the season and his third in his last seven games.
Just over a minute later, Chicago appeared to double its lead when Jason Dickinson scored at the crease, but the goal was overturned following a successful coach’s challenge for goaltender interference. The disallowed goal did not slow the Blackhawks’ momentum.
At 14:58 of the first period, Dickinson redeemed himself in a big way. After a turnover at the Toronto blue line, Dickinson and Ilya Mikheyev broke out on a shorthanded 2-on-1, with Dickinson finishing the play to make it 2–0. The goal marked the Blackhawks’ third shorthanded goal of the season and their second in the last three games.
Chicago’s power-play struggles continued despite the strong start. The Blackhawks went scoreless on their lone opportunity, extending their drought to four straight games without a power-play goal. They now have just one goal in their last 12 power-play chances.
The second period was one of Chicago’s best defensive frames of the season. The Blackhawks limited Toronto’s offensive zone time, closed quickly on puck carriers, and kept most chances to the outside. At five-on-five, Chicago held the edge in shots on goal (16–15) and scoring chances (17–15), while Toronto narrowly led in shot attempts (33–32). The lack of execution drew loud boos from the home crowd at Scotiabank Arena throughout the period.
Without Bedard, head coach Jeff Blashill made several lineup adjustments that showed promise. Frank Nazar centered Andrew Burakovsky and Tyler Bertuzzi, while Blashill reunited young prospects Colton Greene, Gavin Moore, and Nick Lardis on the same line. Chicago maintained its pace and structure through 40 minutes and entered the third period firmly in control.
Toronto finally broke through at 9:59 of the third period when Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s point shot deflected past Spencer Knight, cutting the lead to 2–1. The turning point came at 16:21 when Dominic Toninato was called for holding the stick, giving the Maple Leafs a late power play.
Auston Matthews tied the game at 16:51 with his 14th goal of the season and his third in his last four games. Just eight seconds later, Dakota Joshua jumped on a rebound in the slot and lifted it past Knight to give Toronto a sudden 3–2 lead.
In a span of eight seconds, a game Chicago had controlled for nearly 55 minutes slipped away. Despite their speed, structure, and disciplined play for most of the night, the Blackhawks were unable to close out the win, turning a strong road performance into another frustrating loss.
Blackhawks react to “gut punch”
The frustration was clear in the Blackhawks’ locker room following the loss, as head coach Jeff Blashill felt his team deserved a better outcome after controlling most of the game.
“Obviously, it’s a gut punch at the end,” Blashill said. “We played a really good game and probably deserved a win for 56 minutes, I guess. Credit to them. That goal by Matthews on the power play was a miscue by us, but Nylander makes an unreal play and Matthews makes an unreal play, and then it was an unfortunate bounce there on the winning goal. The reality is, if we play like this on a consistent basis we’re going to win lots of games. You have to understand the process and go back at it. We have to do a good job of having a short-term memory.”
Wyatt Kaiser, who opened the scoring and logged another strong performance, echoed that sentiment and emphasized the importance of staying level-headed through the ups and downs of the season.
“You kind of feel like you’re in control most of the game,” Kaiser said. “It’s the game of hockey. It’s a little crazy, so just try to manage that and not get too high or too low. That’s the way it goes sometimes. We’ve been on both sides of it where sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t. Just have to put it in the past and move on.”
NOTES:
Connor Bedard missed his second straight game due to injury, and the Blackhawks are now 0-2-0 without him in the lineup.
When the Blackhawks allow a power-play goal, their record this season drops to 2-7-5.
Defenseman Artyom Levshunov was a healthy scratch after being late to Monday’s practice in Chicago. Ethan Del Mastro drew into the lineup in his place and logged 15:07 of ice time, finishing with two shots on goal.
Prior to the game, the Blackhawks assigned goaltender Laurent Brossoit to the Rockford IceHogs .
The season series between Chicago and Toronto finished 1-1-0, with both games decided by identical 3–2 scores.
Nick Foligno is traveling with the team on the road trip and could return to the lineup later this week.
Blackhawks vs. Maple Leafs: Game Stats
| Category | Blackhawks | Maple Leafs |
| Final Score | 2 | 3 |
| Shots on Goal | 25 | 27 |
| Faceoff Win % | 42.9% | 57.1% |
| Power Play | 0/1 | 1/3 |
| Penalty Kill | 2/3 (66.7%) | 1/1 (100%) |
| Penalty Minutes | 6 | 2 |
| Hits | 15 | 29 |
| Blocked Shots | 12 | 14 |
| Giveaways | 13 | 14 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 4 |
Blackhawks Player Highlights
Jason Dickinson — 1G (SHG), 1 point, 2 SOG, 1 block, 1 hit, TOI 17:41
