The Chicago Blackhawks saw their night end on a sour note Friday in St. Louis, falling 3–2 to the Blues in a tightly contested game that was ultimately overshadowed by a late injury to Connor Bedard. The 20-year-old forward was hurt on the final faceoff of the game and did not return. Bedard went down awkwardly after contact and was visibly uncomfortable as he left the ice, clutching his shoulder while heading straight down the tunnel. Head coach Jeff Blashill later described the play as a “freak accident,” offering no immediate timeline, other than confirming after the game that Bedard will not play Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings, with further evaluation expected in the coming days.
Despite the loss, Bedard recorded two assists and remained Chicago’s most dangerous offensive presence until the unfortunate ending.
Before exiting, Bedard was one of Chicago’s most impactful players, recording two assists and logging over 20 minutes of ice time. He remains the Blackhawks’ leading scorer this season with 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) in 31 games, continuing to drive much of the team’s offense.
Chicago now turns its attention to Detroit, wrapping up a back-to-back set and the second and final meeting between the two teams this season. The Blackhawks won the first matchup 5–1 in Detroit on November 9, a game in which Bedard recorded three points.
Detroit enters Saturday with a 17-12-3 record, while Chicago will look to adjust its lineup on short notice as it navigates life without its top offensive catalyst, at least temporarily.
Game Summary
The Chicago Blackhawks pushed late but couldn’t finish the comeback Friday night in St. Louis, falling 3–2 to the Blues after trailing for most of the game. Chicago outshot St. Louis 13–6 in the third period, but despite the late pressure, the tying goal never came.
The opening 40 minutes set the tone. St. Louis controlled play early, winning battles and dictating pace, particularly in the first period where they out-attempted Chicago 22–10 and generated a 9–3 edge in scoring chances. Logan Mailloux opened the scoring on a delayed penalty, and Matt Luff doubled the lead before Wyatt Kaiser snapped home his second goal of the season to make it 2–1 at the first intermission. The period also featured a physical edge, highlighted by Colton Dach dropping the gloves with Mailloux and a wrestling match between Dylan Holloway and Connor Murphy later on.
Chicago began to settle in as the game progressed, but the second period still leaned St. Louis’ way. The Blues finished the frame ahead in shot attempts (38–31), shots on goal (20–17), and scoring chances (19–14 overall), despite Chicago briefly flipping the script in chances during the middle stretch. Justin Faulk restored the two-goal cushion midway through the period, capitalizing on sustained Blues pressure.
Connor Bedard helped spark Chicago’s push late in the third, creating a goal with a slick play in tight that led to Andre Burakovsky’s eighth of the season. Bedard’s quick touch with his skates in front left Joel Hofer with no chance, pulling the Blackhawks within one. From there, Chicago pressed, but the final six minutes told the story of the night — effort without execution. Even with the net empty, the 6-on-5 sequence lacked structure, producing little beyond a late look for Tyler Bertuzzi as time expired.
Hofer was sharp when needed for St. Louis, battling through traffic and handling multiple second-chance looks to preserve the lead. Head coach Jeff Blashill didn’t sugarcoat the slow start afterward.
“They played way harder than us, early on especially,” Blashill said. “They came out super ready, and we came out to just play hockey. Too many guys weren’t as competitive as you need to be.”
The loss followed a familiar pattern for Chicago. When surrendering the first goal, the Blackhawks have managed just one win all season — a trend that continued Friday. They showed pushback late, but against a more structured opponent after 40 minutes, it wasn’t enough.
NOTES: Connor Bedard recorded his 40th career multipoint game, passing Patrick Kane for fourth-most in franchise history among Blackhawks players aged 20 or younger. Only Denis Savard (44), Jeremy Roenick (41), and Eddie Olczyk (41) sit ahead of him on that list. Andre Burakovsky snapped an 11-game goal drought with his third-period tally. The Blackhawks are now 1-8-3 when the opponent scores the first goal and 4-6-6 in one-goal games.
Games Stats
| Stat | Blackhawks | Blues |
| Shots on Goal | 29 | 26 |
| Faceoff % | 44.2% | 55.8% |
| Power Play | 0/1 | 0/0 |
| Penalty Minutes | 14 | 12 |
| Hits | 19 | 30 |
| Blocked Shots | 11 | 13 |
| Giveaways | 16 | 13 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 9 |
Blackhawks Players Highlights
Connor Bedard 2A 2 PTS 2SOG 1BLk 2HITS
Andrei Burakovsky 1G 1A 2PTS 1SOG +1
Wyatt Kaiser 1G 1 PTS 3SOG
Spencer Knight 3 goals on 26 shots .885%
Three Stars of the Game
⭐ 1. Justin Faulk (STL)
G: 1 | A: 0 | P: 1
⭐ 2. Logan Mailloux (STL)
G: 1 | A: 0 | P: 1
⭐ 3. Connor Bedard (CHI)
G: 0 | A: 2 | P: 2
Around the Blackhawks
Connor Bedard has been ruled out for Saturday’s game against Detroit, prompting short-term questions about Chicago’s lineup going forward. One name generating discussion is Nick Lardis, who continues to produce in Rockford. As noted by Ben Pope, Lardis is up to 14 goals and 27 points in 25 AHL games, a scoring rate comparable to Frank Nazar’s output last season, now over a larger sample size.
At the AHL level, the Rockford IceHogs earned a 5–3 victory, highlighted by Laurent Brossoit scoring an empty-net goal. Sam Rinzel also contributed offensively, recording two assists in the win.
In junior hockey, Mason West made his season debut with Fargo (USHL) and scored his first two goals of the year.
Meanwhile, Marek Vanacker continues to trend upward. Recently invited to Team Canada’s 2026 World Junior Championship selection camp, Vanacker added another goal last night, continuing a strong stretch.
Final Thoughts
The Blackhawks came up short despite a late push, outshooting St. Louis in the third period but struggling to generate enough quality looks to complete the comeback. Chicago pulled within one late, but the final minutes — including the 6-on-5 — produced limited structure and few true scoring chances.
Connor Bedard’s injury at the final horn overshadowed the finish and adds uncertainty heading into the next game. Chicago continues to find itself in tight contests, reflected in its record in one-goal games, and Friday was another example of a game that remained within reach but slipped away due to missed opportunities and execution late.
Next Game
The Blackhawks return home tonight to wrap up a back-to-back set as they host the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. CDT.
Detroit enters the matchup with a 17-12-3 record and this will be the second and final meeting between the two teams this season. The Blackhawks took the first matchup on November 9 in Detroit, earning a 5–1 victory behind a strong performance from Connor Bedard, who recorded three points in the win.
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Blackhawks Week In Review: (Week 9)
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