Every Monday, we bring you the Chicago Blackhawks Weekly Recap, covering everything from the NHL roster to the AHL Rockford IceHogs and top prospects in the system.
We review the week’s results, and highlight standout performances, and close out with our Blackhawks Three Stars of the Week across all levels.
This recap covers games from Monday to Sunday (Week 11).
Blackhawks: Week 11 Record: 0-3-0
Game 1: Blackhawks 2 Toronto 3
The Chicago Blackhawks opened their Canadian road trip with one of their most complete efforts of the season, but a brutal late collapse turned control into frustration in a 3–2 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.
Playing without Connor Bedard, Chicago set the tone early with speed, structure, and strong puck management through the neutral zone. The Blackhawks controlled play for most of the first period and were rewarded when Wyatt Kaiser jumped into the slot and beat Joseph Woll to give Chicago a 1–0 lead. Even after a Jason Dickinson goal was overturned for goalie interference, the Hawks stayed aggressive and confident.
Late in the first period, Dickinson made up for it in a big way. After forcing a turnover at the Toronto blue line, he finished a shorthanded 2-on-1 to make it 2–0. Chicago left the opening frame firmly in control, frustrating the Leafs and limiting their clean offensive looks.
The second period was one of Chicago’s strongest defensive periods of the season. The Blackhawks clogged shooting lanes, closed gaps quickly, and kept most of Toronto’s chances to the outside. At five-on-five, the game stayed tight and structured, with Chicago continuing to dictate pace and tempo. The Leafs struggled to generate sustained pressure, and the home crowd grew restless.
Everything changed in the third period.
Toronto finally broke through when a point shot deflected past Spencer Knight to cut the lead to 2–1. Chicago still looked composed, but a late penalty gave the Leafs life. On the power play, Auston Matthews tied the game, and just eight seconds later a rebound bounced the wrong way, ending up in the back of the net for a sudden 3–2 Toronto lead.
In a span of eight seconds, a game Chicago controlled for nearly 55 minutes slipped away.
Despite a strong overall performance, disciplined structure, and one of their best road efforts of the season, the Blackhawks couldn’t close the door when it mattered most. What should have been a statement win became a painful reminder of how thin the margin is in the NHL — especially late in games.
Game 2: Blackhawks 1 Montreal 4
The Chicago Blackhawks couldn’t carry momentum into Montreal as their Canadian road trip continued with a 4–1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. Once again playing without Connor Bedard, Chicago struggled to generate offense and spent most of the night defending against a Canadiens team that controlled the pace, territory, and puck possession.
The opening period was competitive despite limited offense from both sides. Montreal pushed early, testing Spencer Knight with sustained pressure, but Chicago capitalized on one of its few looks when Frank Nazar redirected a point shot to give the Blackhawks a brief 1–0 lead. The Canadiens responded later in the period when Zachary Bolduc snapped a quick shot past Knight to even the game, sending both teams into the intermission tied 1–1.
The second period belonged almost entirely to Montreal. The Canadiens dictated play, controlled zone time, and outshot Chicago by a wide margin, forcing Knight to make save after save just to keep the game level. The Blackhawks struggled to exit their zone cleanly and generated very little offense, managing only a handful of shots through 40 minutes. Chicago survived the period thanks to strong goaltending, but the imbalance in play was becoming impossible to ignore.
That pressure finally broke through early in the third period. Just seconds after a penalty expired, Bolduc struck again with a deflection in front, giving Montreal its first lead of the night. From there, the Canadiens never looked back. Chicago tried to respond but lacked the puck support and execution needed to create sustained chances.
Montreal extended the lead midway through the period when Lane Hutson joined the rush and helped create a goal off a broken play, putting the Blackhawks further on their heels. Any remaining hope disappeared late in the game when Nick Suzuki sealed the outcome with an empty-net goal.
Despite another strong effort from Spencer Knight, the Blackhawks were simply overmatched territorially. Chicago finished the night with just 15 shots on goal, spending far too much time chasing the puck and defending in their own zone. Without Bedard in the lineup, the lack of offensive punch was once again evident.
For the second straight game, the Blackhawks showed stretches of structure and competitiveness, but the inability to generate offense and handle sustained pressure ultimately led to another loss. Montreal’s depth, speed, and puck movement proved to be the difference as Chicago left the Bell Centre still searching for answers.
Game 3 Blackhawks 4 Ottawa 6
The Chicago Blackhawks closed out their Canadian road trip with another frustrating result, falling 6–4 to the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre. For the third straight game, Chicago entered the third period within reach, only to see the game unravel when it mattered most.
The opening period was chaotic and physical, featuring early momentum swings and multiple video reviews. Ottawa thought it had opened the scoring just minutes in, but Chicago successfully challenged for goaltender interference. The Senators eventually broke through when a point shot deflected past Arvid Söderblom, giving Ottawa a 1–0 lead. Chicago’s night became more difficult when Frank Nazar took a shot to the face and was forced to leave the game, shortening the Blackhawks’ bench for the remainder of the afternoon.
Chicago responded with resilience in the second period and played its most productive offensive hockey of the road trip. Ilya Mikheyev tied the game early, snapping a long goal drought, only for Ottawa to regain the lead moments later on a short-handed rush. The Blackhawks answered again on the power play, and then answered once more after falling behind a third time. Mikheyev’s second goal of the game tied things 3–3 late in the period, sending Chicago into the third with momentum and belief.
But just like Toronto and Montreal, the third period told a familiar story.
An early penalty put Chicago on its heels, and Ottawa took advantage. Veteran David Perron scored on the power play to give the Senators the lead, then struck again minutes later to make it 5–3. Chicago briefly pushed back when Nick Lardis scored the first goal of his NHL career, cutting the deficit to one and injecting life into the Blackhawks’ bench.
That moment, however, was as close as Chicago would get. Ottawa controlled the remainder of the period, and a late goal sealed the outcome, completing a decisive third period where the Senators outpaced, outshot, and out-executed the Blackhawks.
Despite scoring four goals — something that should normally be enough to win on the road — Chicago couldn’t overcome defensive breakdowns, penalties, and inconsistent goaltending. The Blackhawks allowed three goals in the third period, turning another competitive game into another loss.
The road trip ended 0–3–0, with the Blackhawks showing stretches of push and offensive flashes, but also a recurring inability to close games when the pressure rises. Without Connor Bedard in the lineup, the margin for error was razor thin — and once again, it disappeared in the final frame.
Team Performance Overview
| Category | Week 4 | Season | NHL Rank |
| Record | 0-3–0 | 13-16-6 | 32nd |
| Goals For | 7 | 98 | 25th |
| Goals Against | 13 | 109 | 17th |
| Goal Differential | -6 | -11 | 23th |
| GF/GP | 2.33 | 2.80 | 24th |
| GA/GP | 4.33 | 3.11 | 18th |
| Power Play | 1/6 | 21.2% | 10th |
| Penalty Kill | 2/12 | 84.3% | 3rd |
| Shots/GP | 21.3 | 25.2 | 29th |
| Shots Against/GP | 34.0 | 30.6 | 29th |
| Faceoff % | 39.2% | 46.0% | 30th |
Blackhawks Player Highlights
Andrei Burakovsky: 1 G | 1 A | 2 PTS | 4 SOG
Ilya Mikheyev : 2 G | 1A | 3 PTS | 4 SOG
Ryan Greene: 2 A | 2 PTS | 4 SOG
Wyatt Kaiser: 1 G | 1 A | 2 PTS | 2 SOG
Spencer Knight: 0-2-0 | 3.00 | .901%
AHL – IceHogs (1–1–0)
Game 1: IceHogs 7 – Moose 3
The Rockford IceHogs delivered a strong, structured performance to defeat the Manitoba Moose 7–3 on Saturday afternoon at Canada Life Centre, powered by special teams, timely scoring, and a huge night from their newest addition. Despite being heavily outshot, Rockford controlled the key moments of the game and pulled away with four unanswered goals.
Manitoba pushed the pace offensively, firing 40 shots on Laurent Brossoit, but the veteran goaltender was calm and steady, turning aside chance after chance to earn his third win in an IceHogs uniform. The Moose tied the game three times through the first two periods, including two power-play goals, but Rockford responded immediately each time.
The turning point came with Rockford’s power play, which was lethal all afternoon. The IceHogs scored 3 power-play goals on 8 opportunities, capitalizing on Manitoba’s penalties and breaking the game open in the third period. After killing a penalty while leading 4–3, Rockford went right back on the attack and never looked back.
Offensively, Brett Seney and Joey Anderson led the charge, each scoring two goals, while the IceHogs rattled off four unanswered goals to seal the win. New acquisition Rem Pitlick made an immediate impact in his first game back with Rockford, finishing with an impressive four-point performance (1 goal, 3 assists) and quarterbacking the offense on the man advantage. On the blue line, Sam Rinzel quietly had an excellent game, recording three assists and moving the puck efficiently all night.
In the end, this was a complete team win for Rockford—strong goaltending under pressure, dominant special teams, and immediate contributions from new and young players—sending a clear message about the IceHogs’ depth and resilience.
Game 2: IceHogs 1 – Moose 4
For the second straight afternoon in Winnipeg, the Manitoba Moose controlled the pace and came away with a 4–1 win over the Rockford IceHogs, once again holding a clear edge in shot volume.
Manitoba outshot Rockford 38–27, spending long stretches in the offensive zone and forcing the IceHogs to defend more than they wanted. Brett Seney gave Rockford an early spark, opening the scoring in the first minute for the second consecutive game, but the Moose responded later in the period to tie it 1–1.
The turning point came in the second period, where Manitoba grabbed its first lead and never looked back. The IceHogs had chances to climb back into the game, earning multiple power plays, but they couldn’t solve Moose goaltender Domenic Divincentiis, who was sharp when Rockford pushed.
Despite a stronger third-period effort, Rockford couldn’t generate enough sustained offense at five-on-five. Manitoba added an empty-net goal late to seal the game and complete the weekend split.
Three Stars of the Week
Blackhawks
1️⃣ Ilkya Mikheyev: 2 G | 1 A | 3 PTS | 4 SOG
2️⃣ Andrei Burakovsky: 1 G | 1 A | 2 PTS | 4 SOG
3️⃣ Ryan Greene: 2 A | 2 PTS | 2 SOG
IceHogs
1️⃣ Rem Pitlick 1 G | 3 A | 4 PTS
2️⃣ Brett Seney 3 G | 3 PTS
3️⃣ Laurent Broissoit 1-0-0 3.00 .917%
Final Thought
It was a disaster week for the Chicago Blackhawks, and there’s no way around it. Losing Connor Bedard was painful enough, but watching the offense completely disappear without him only underlined how fragile this roster still is. The situation worsened even more with Frank Nazar expected to miss at least a month, leaving the Blackhawks without their top two centers and almost no ability to generate sustained pressure.
As a result, Chicago has slipped back to the bottom of the NHL standings, and based on the current lineup, it’s hard to see a quick turnaround. This team is now in survival mode, trying to stay competitive night to night while key pieces are unavailable. The loss in Toronto was especially difficult to bounce back from, and the road trip only reinforced how thin the margin for error is without elite skill in the lineup.
There were still a few small positives in an otherwise brutal stretch. Frank Nazar and Ilya Mikheyev both snapped 20-game goal droughts this week, moments that mattered internally even if they didn’t change the results. Those goals showed effort and persistence, but they also highlighted how rare offense has become. Nick Lardis scores his first NHL career goal.
Looking ahead, Jeff Blashill will be tested over the next few weeks. Keeping the room together, maintaining structure, and preventing frustration from turning into bad habits will be just as important as wins and losses. This is where leadership behind the bench matters most.
From a management standpoint, Kyle Davidson has decisions to make. He may explore adding short-term depth if the injuries pile up, or he could lean fully into asset management and move pending UFAs at the deadline to stockpile future picks. Either way, the direction should remain clear.
The silver lining? The 2026 NHL Draft projects to be deep at the top, with several high-end prospects who could change the trajectory of the franchise. If this season continues on its current path, Chicago will be positioned to add another cornerstone piece.
For now, it’s about weathering the storm. This rebuild was never going to be linear — and this week was a harsh reminder of that reality.
Next Game
The Chicago Blackhawks return to the ice Tuesday, December 23, when they host the Philadelphia Flyers at the United Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 PM CDT in the final game before the Christmas break.
Following a three-day pause, the Blackhawks will resume play on Saturday, December 27. They travel to Dallas to face the Dallas Stars, marking the start of their post-holiday stretch.
KEEP READING:
Blackhawks Weekly Recap: (Week 1)
Blackhawks Weekly Recap (Week 2)
Blackhawks Weekly Recap (Week 3)
Blackhawks Weekly Recap (Week 4)
Blackhawks Weekly Recap (Week 5)
Blackhawks Weekly Recap (Week 6)
Blackhawks Week in Review:Week 7
Blackhawks Week in Recap (Week 8)
Blackhawks Week In Review: (Week 9)
Blackhawks Week In Review: Week 10
Blackhawks October Report Card
Blackhawks: November Report Card
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