The Chicago Blackhawks surprised the Washington Capitals with a 3–2 (3-2) shootout win on Saturday night, as captain Nick Foligno scored the deciding goal in the sixth round, beating goaltender Logan Thompson to seal the victory.
The win marked Chicago’s third victory in its last 10 games despite missing Connor Bedard, and the Blackhawks have now gone 3-3-1 without Bedard and Nazar in the lineup. It was also a notable milestone for the team, snapping a long drought as Chicago earned its first back-to-back wins since Nov. 18, ending a 22-game stretch without consecutive victories.
In goal, Spencer Knight was outstanding, turning aside 32 shots to keep the Blackhawks in control throughout the night. On the other side, Washington fell to 1-2-1 in its past four games.
Game Summary
First Period — Tied 1–1
The Blackhawks wasted no time jumping on the scoreboard, taking a 1–0 lead just 1:13 into the game. Ryan Donato opened the scoring by tipping a shot from Ilya Mikheyev past the goaltender for his 10th goal of the season. It marked Donato’s second goal in his last 17 games, giving Chicago an early spark.
Washington responded quickly. At 4:46, Dylan Strome tied the game after jumping on a rebound in front. Ethen Frank’s initial shot was stopped by Spencer Knight, but the puck came right to Strome, who buried it for his 10th goal of the season, evening the score at 1–1.
The period featured open play and aggressive forechecking, especially from the Capitals, who pressured Chicago’s defense consistently. Both teams were loose defensively, creating chances off the rush and extended zone time.
Washington forward Tom Wilson left the game after taking a hit from Connor Murphy and went directly to the Capitals’ locker room.
Despite the back-and-forth nature of the period, no penalties were called.
First-period numbers:
- Shot Attempts: CHI 24 – WSH 20
- Shots on Goal: WSH 12 – CHI 9
- Scoring Chances: CHI 13 – WSH 9
After the period, head coach Jeff Blashill liked his team’s approach early.
“In the first period, we had a lot of zone time,” Blashill said. “We were grinding them and doing a good job wearing them down.”
Second Period — Blackhawks Take the Lead
The Blackhawks struck early again in the second period, regaining the lead at 4:24 on the power play. With Jakob Chychrun in the penalty box for roughing Colton Dach, Teuvo Teravainen capitalized, ripping a wrist shot past Logan Thompson for his ninth goal of the season. The goal marked Teravainen’s third straight game with a goal, as he finished a perfect feed from Tyler Bertuzzi to give Chicago a 2–1 lead.
After the goal, the period settled into a more even rhythm, but Chicago executed well away from the puck. The Blackhawks were strong on the forecheck, closed gaps quickly through the neutral zone, and used their speed to disrupt Washington’s entries and transition game.
Head coach Jeff Blashill praised his team’s structure and puck management.
“In the second, we had that, but we also did a really good job of track-gap transition — denying them out of their zone, denying them on entries, and then being able to transition. I was happy with both those phases.”
Blashill had emphasized the importance of generating more offensive-zone time, and it showed throughout the period, as the Blackhawks controlled long stretches of play and kept the crowd out of the game.
The final minute was chaotic, with Washington hitting the crossbar before Thompson came up with two strong saves on Andre Burakovsky to keep it a one-goal game.
Second-period numbers:
- Shot Attempts: CHI 38 – WSH 35
- Shots on Goal: WSH 20 – CHI 18
- Scoring Chances: WSH 20 – CHI 17
Third Period — Game Tied
The third period delivered high tempo and plenty of chances, with both teams pushing for the decisive goal. Chicago fired 13 shots, while Washington answered with 14, setting up an entertaining back-and-forth frame. Goaltenders Spencer Knight and Logan Thompson were outstanding, trading key saves to keep the game within reach for both sides.
Washington tied the game at 11:18, when Ryan Leonard scored his eighth goal of the season. After a point shot from Matt Roy was stopped by Knight, Leonard swatted the loose puck out of mid-air and over the goaltender in the crease. Anthony Beauvillier picked up the secondary assist on the play.
Both teams continued to press late, and the Capitals nearly caught the Blackhawks off guard in the final seconds, but Chicago held on to force overtime.
The period served as another strong test for the Blackhawks’ young players, who once again found themselves in a meaningful, high-pressure situation late in the game.
End of regulation: Blackhawks 2, Capitals 2
Shots on goal: WSH 33 – CHI 31
Overtime
Overtime opened with chances at both ends, including a strong look from Nick Lardis, who generated a quality scoring opportunity early in the extra frame. Lardis later drew a penalty with 54 seconds remaining, giving the Blackhawks a late power-play chance to end it.
Chicago was unable to capitalize, as Washington defended effectively with a tight diamond penalty-kill formation, limiting the Blackhawks to the outside and preventing any clean looks from the slot.
With no goal scored, the Blackhawks and Capitals headed to a shootout — the third shootout in Chicago’s last five games.
Shootout
Final (SO): Blackhawks 3, Capitals 2
- Ryan Leonard — Miss
- Nick Lardis — Goal
- Dylan Strome — Goal
- Ryan Donato — Save
- Anthony Beauvillier — Save
- Oliver Moore — Save
- Connor McMichael — Save
- Louis Crevier — Miss
- Sonny Milano — Goal
- Andre Burakovsky — Goal
- Jakob Chychrun — Miss
- Nick Foligno — Goal (GWG)
Inside the Locker Room
Nick Foligno couldn’t hide his excitement after scoring the shootout winner.
“I was like a little kid, actually, when he (Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill) called my name,” Foligno said. “I remember popping up and looking at him all excited. I didn’t even give him a chance to second-guess it — I went right on the ice. It felt good to score that for the guys.”
Foligno also liked how Chicago set the tone early.
“I loved our start,” he said. “It’s an area that we needed to get a little bit better in. I thought tonight on the road, against a good team, we just competed and built on our game.”
Teuvo Teravainen emphasized the importance of the win for the team’s younger players.
“It builds their confidence,” Teravainen said. “They make some plays in the right moments, and of course they’re going to make some bad plays sometimes too. This group is good. They’re learning, and it’s a big win.”
On his power-play goal, Teravainen kept it simple.
“Just a good little play there. I got open on the back side and put it in.”
Head coach Jeff Blashill showed clear trust in his young players late, rolling Oliver Moore, Sam Greene, and Nick Lardis during overtime.
Moore, playing his second game at center, took two key faceoffs in OT and won one of them.
“Ultimately, those guys have opportunities to be good 3-on-3 players,” Blashill said. “And you don’t know unless you try them.”
Blashill also liked how his team handled Washington’s late push.
“Obviously in the third, they pushed,” he said. “But we defended pretty well, and I thought we showed good poise.”
Notes
- Ilya Mikheyev has 10 points (5G, 5A) in his last 11 games against the Capitals.
- This marked the Blackhawks’ third shootout in their last five games, with Chicago winning two of those three.
- Chicago scored a power-play goal for the third straight game and is now 4-for-8 (50.0%) over that stretch.
- The Blackhawks recorded 30+ shots for just the second time in their last 15 games, continuing a recent uptick in offensive zone time and puck possession.
Game Stats
| Stat | Blackhawks | Capitals |
| Shots on Goal | 33 | 34 |
| Faceoff % | 49.0% | 51.0% |
| Power Play | 1/2 | 0/1 |
| Penalty Minutes | 2 | 4 |
| Hits | 11 | 23 |
| Blocked Shots | 9 | 19 |
| Giveaways | 19 | 17 |
| Takeaways | 9 | 2 |
Three Stars of the Game
⭐ 1st Star
Spencer Knight (CHI)
32 saves | SV% .941 | Shootout win
⭐ 2nd Star
Logan Thompson (WSH)
31 saves | SV% .939
⭐3rd Star
Ryan Leonard (WSH)
1 Goal 1 Points
My Takeaways
1️⃣Spencer Knight delivers again
Spencer Knight was rock solid against the Capitals, allowing just 2 goals on 34 shots for a .941 save percentage. He made big saves at key moments and gave his team a real chance to win. His puck management and rebound control were excellent all night. When Knight is sharp like this, he’s clearly one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. This was also his second straight win as a starter, and the first time he’s done that since November 7 — a great sign for Chicago.
2️⃣First line controls the game
The first line had a strong overall performance. They generated 11 shots on goal, and Greene was excellent on faceoffs (56.3%), helping Chicago control possession. Bertuzzi now has 5 points in his last 5 games, while Burakovsky has 3 points in his last 2 games. This line was very effective in transition and on offensive zone entries. At 5-on-5, they posted a 59.38% Corsi, outshooting their matchup 11–9 and spending more time in the offensive zone.
3️⃣ Donato–Mikheyev–Dickinson continue to deliver
Donato and Mikheyev played another strong game alongside Dickinson. Their forecheck, work ethic, and ability to shut down opposing lines stood out. With Bedard and Nazar still out, Chicago is getting valuable contributions from the bottom six and veteran players. Over the last two games, that support has made a real difference — and it’s paying off.
Next Game:
The Blackhawks return home Sunday, January 4, to host the Vegas Golden Knights.
⏰ 6:00 PM CDT
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 Week In Review: (Week 11)
Blackhawks October Report Card
Blackhawks: November Report Card
