Because the site isn’t ready yet, I’ll share some Blackhawks updates here in the forum to keep everyone informed. Here are my thoughts about last night’s game — feel free to reply and share what you thought about their performance.
BLACKHAWKS 2, WILD 3 — PENALTIES AND SPECIAL TEAMS TURN THE GAME AROUND
The Chicago Blackhawks dropped a 3-2 decision to the Minnesota Wild in their second-to-last preseason game. Both teams dressed close to full NHL lineups, and the pace felt like a regular-season matchup from start to finish.
First Period — Structure and Efficiency
Chicago came out organized and opportunistic. Even though the Wild outshot them 10–5, the Hawks made their chances count. Frank Nazar opened the scoring with his fourth of the preseason, showing great patience and finish. A few minutes later, Nick Foligno redirected a Sam Rinzel point shot to make it 2–0.
It wasn’t domination, but it was efficient hockey — good structure, clean transitions, and smart puck management.
Second Period — Discipline Breaks Down
The second period changed everything. Chicago lost its rhythm with too many penalties, and Minnesota made them pay. Vladimir Tarasenko, Matt Boldy, and Ryan Hartman all scored on the power play, turning a 2–0 lead into a 3–2 Wild advantage.
The Hawks’ penalty kill never settled in — too many missed clears and coverage breakdowns. Their power play also failed to answer back, now 0-for-9 over the last two games. Momentum swung completely toward Minnesota, and Chicago spent most of the frame chasing the puck instead of dictating play.
Third Period — A Strong Push, No Finish
The third was Chicago’s best period. They controlled possession, outshot the Wild 15–4, and had multiple chances to tie it. Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar both created offense, but couldn’t finish. Bedard is doing everything right — moving, shooting, creating — the goals will come soon.
Jason Dickinson centered a responsible and hard-working line with Landon Slaggert and Ilya Mikheyev, generating pressure and drawing a penalty. Colton Dach also had a solid game in limited minutes (10:53), showing strength and good reads.
On defense, Nolan Allan logged around 15 minutes and added an assist, staying calm and simple with the puck. Levshunov continues to learn — he’ll make mistakes, but his confidence is growing. Wyatt Kaiser impressed again with his poise, and Sam Rinzel looks like a player who could force decisions soon. Matt Grzelcyk was fine overall, but it’s still unclear how Jeff Blashill plans to use him.
The one big question is Sam Lafferty’s role. He played only 6:24 and didn’t get any penalty-kill time — the main reason Chicago brought him back. If he’s not going to be used on special teams, what’s his fit on this roster?
Postgame Thoughts
Jeff Blashill after the game:
“I liked our first and third periods. The forecheck and O-zone were the best they’ve looked. We just took too many penalties. There are still some areas in the D-zone we need to clean up — we have to be stronger on pucks and break out cleaner.”
Nick Foligno echoed the same message about discipline and system progress:
“Because of the way we’re coached, it’s coming fast. The information is clear and direct. You can see we’re improving every game. We just can’t beat ourselves with penalties.”
Coach Frenchy’s Take
This wasn’t a bad game at all — Chicago was 2–0 at 5-on-5 and played the right way for long stretches. But discipline, special teams, and faceoffs under 40% were costly. If they stay out of the box and keep playing connected as five-man units, this team will start to win these kinds of games.
The Hawks close the preseason tonight at home against the St. Louis Blues — puck drop at 6:00 PM CDT.