The Chicago Blackhawks can move past a loss to the Devils, but they must absorb what they saw. Back home after a long road trip is never easy, and nothing changed last night. The Blackhawks faced one of the top NHL teams this season — the Devils. Their speed, transition game, and rush attacks are elite, led by both Hughes brothers, Bratt, Hischier, and many others.
Connor Bedard was ready, and the Blackhawks were up for the challenge. But they were missing important players: Dickinson, Burakovsky, and Nazar. Even with key injuries, Chicago wanted to show the NHL that their strong season so far is not a fluke.
Riding a three-game winning streak, the Blackhawks were confident. Jeff Blashill used his system again — 7 defensemen and 11 forwards.
But after a hard fight, the Blackhawks lost 4–3 in overtime, blowing a one-goal lead with four minutes left. They now sit at 8-5-4 with 20 points through 17 games, holding a Wild Card spot.
Blackhawks fans may be frustrated with the ending, but the team should also look closely at what happened against a Devils squad that entered the night 4-0-1 in their last five. There are important lessons to take.
Chicago is 3-2-2 when tied after two periods, and they had never lost a game this season when leading after 40 minutes. The third period has been a strength for them, but overtime has not, now falling to 1-3 in OT and 0-1 in shootouts.
These are meaningful games for a rebuilding team — and that’s part of the growth. But last night was a learning moment, especially for young defensemen and some forwards.
Learning how to become complete NHL players
The hardest thing to learn in the NHL is how to become a complete player.
Connor Bedard’s offensive game is elite. He carries the team most nights. But like every young star, he still has work to do defensively — and that is perfectly normal.
The same applies to young defensemen Levshunov and Rinzel. Last night, the Devils exposed Chicago’s inexperience in key moments of the third period.
How many times this season have the Blackhawks held a third-period lead or tie, only to let it slip away because of mistakes, inexperience, or a lack of situational awareness?
The Devils showed what maturity looks like. They tied the game three times, stayed patient, and found their moment to finish it 4-3. SinceThe Devils are 44-1-2 when leading after two periods since 2024-25. They know how to close games.
Chicago can — and should — learn from that.
Blashill’s message: find your B-game
Blashill often talks about being able to contribute even when you don’t have your A-game. A young team must learn how to manage moments when things aren’t sharp, or when the opponent forces you into mistakes.
Blashill said:
“We fought all night, we showed we can play with them. But we did not do a great job keeping the lead, and we didn’t execute well in the defensive zone. Miscommunication and awareness hurt us. But it’s a great game to learn from against a good team.”
Forward Mikheyev added:
“There are nights we’re not at our best. You have to grind, simplify, get pucks in and forecheck. We didn’t do that enough. Turnovers in the neutral zone hurt us.”
Nick Foligno was blunt:
“Let’s just call it — it wasn’t our best game. We competed, but the sharpness we want wasn’t there.”
Bedard’s learning moments
Connor Bedard will become a better player from a game like this — and so will his teammates.
On the first goal:
The faceoff was in the Devils’ defensive zone, and they executed a clean breakout — D-to-D, then Hischier carried the puck through the neutral zone with speed. The Blackhawks reacted well at first, with three players set up to defend the rush.
But this is where the breakdown happened: Nemec jumped into the rush, something the Devils do a lot, and Bedard was the forward responsible to track him. Bedard didn’t react quickly enough, and Nemec gained a step. By the time Bedard turned and picked him up, it was too late — Nemec had the edge and scored.
A simple but important learning moment for a young player.
On the third goal:
The play starts with Crevier pinching in the offensive zone. Hughes picks up the loose puck and carries it all the way back into the Blackhawks’ zone. When Crevier pinches, Bedard reacts well at first by taking Crevier’s spot and tracking Hughes on the backcheck.
But once the play enters the defensive zone, Crevier and Vlasic already have Hughes covered. At the same time, Nemec jumps into the rush on the far side, and no one picks him up. There is also a late Blackhawks line change, which leaves Chicago even more vulnerable.
Hughes makes a great play by drawing three Blackhawks players to him, then sends a perfect pass to Noesen on the back door. While that happens, Nemec skates untouched to the far post for the finish.
This is where Bedard needs to improve. Once Hughes was already covered by Crevier, Bedard should have scanned the weak side and been aware of Nemec coming in. Instead, he drifted toward the blue line, leaving the far post open.
This is a communication and awareness issue — a normal part of the learning curve for a young team and a young star. These moments help players grow and become more complete.
These are the plays that make young players better during a rebuild.
The Takeaway
As Blashill said:
“Tomorrow is a new day. We learned from last night. Now we win our day.”
The Blackhawks have earned the right to move past this one. It was one tough loss — not a step backwards. Blashill never worries about one game.
But the important lesson is clear:
Teams like the Devils know how to tie games, stay patient, and finish strong. The Blackhawks still need to absorb that part of the process.
And that’s how a rebuild becomes a team.
KEEP READING:
Blackhawks Future Outlook: Phase 2 of the Rebuild Begins
Hawks Search For The Right Fit Beside Bedard
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