Monday night’s game at the United Center. Murray, who passed away Saturday at age 63, spent nine seasons with the organization as a player from 1982 to 1991 before becoming a beloved voice of the team as a broadcaster for many years. The ceremony included a tribute to Murray’s legacy and the impact he had on the franchise, making it an emotional night for players, staff, and fans.
Frank Nazar scored a power-play goal at 2:36 of overtime to lift the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3–2 victory against the Utah Mammoth at the United Center on Monday night.
Nazar fired a wrist shot from the slot that beat Utah goaltender Vitek Vanecek to seal the win and complete an emotional evening in Chicago. The goal was his ninth of the season and his first power-play goal of the year.
Nazar has been producing lately, recording six points over his last four games.
The victory improved the Blackhawks’ season record against Utah to 3–0–0, with the two teams set to meet again Thursday in Utah.
The night carried special significance for the Blackhawks organization, which paid tribute before and during the game to former player and longtime radio analyst Troy Murray, who died Saturday at age 63. Murray played for Chicago from 1982 to 1991 and remained closely connected to the franchise for decades.
“Especially the meaning of today’s game with Troy Murray,” Nazar said following the win. “He’s definitely up there watching and guiding us, and he made a big impact on a lot of our lives and our organization.”
Connor Bedard recorded two assists for Chicago, while goaltender Drew Commesso made 22 saves. Commesso had been recalled Saturday from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League after Spencer Knight fell ill. In limited NHL action this season, Commesso improved to 2–1–0.
Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill praised the young netminder’s performance.
“Very well,” Blashill said of Commesso. “I like Drew’s demeanor. Coming out of camp we felt we had a number of good goalies. Arvid Soderblom and ‘Knighter’ have played very well for us, but we’ve certainly been confident in Drew stepping in. The last two starts have been really good.”
Vanecek stopped 23 shots for Utah (34-25-5), which entered the game riding a three-game winning streak. Despite the loss, the Mammoth earned a point and remained in position for the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference playoff race, six points ahead of the Seattle Kraken.
“We didn’t play our ‘A’ game, but we found a way to get a point on the road,” Utah coach Andre Tourigny said. “We would have loved to get the second point, but Chicago plays us hard every time.”
Mammoth Strike First
Utah opened the scoring midway through the first period. Barrett Hayton redirected a shot from Nick DeSimone at 9:43, tipping the puck past Commesso’s right shoulder to give the Mammoth a 1–0 lead.
Chicago responded later in the period. Andrew Mangiapane, who was acquired by the Blackhawks last week in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers, scored his first goal with the team at 13:46. Ryan Donato threw the puck toward the crease, and it deflected off Mangiapane’s body and into the net to tie the game 1–1.
Utah regained the lead late in the period when Dylan Guenther scored at 16:26. Clayton Keller carried the puck into the left circle and fed a pass to Guenther in front, where he slid the puck between Commesso’s pads.
The goal marked Guenther’s 30th of the season and the first time in his career he reached the 30-goal milestone.
“That’s kind of what’s gotten me into the League, being able to score,” Guenther said. “I’ve worked to become a more complete player, but scoring is still a big part of my game.”
Chicago equalized in the third period when Andre Burakovsky capitalized on a loose puck near the crease. Bedard fired a shot that caromed off the end boards, and Burakovsky gathered the rebound at the side of the net before banking it off Vanecek and into the goal at 15:35.
The goal was Burakovsky’s first in 18 games, snapping a long scoring drought.
“I was going to slap my own head when I missed that first one from Frankie (Nazar),” Burakovsky said. “It’s been hard to find the back of the net lately, so it was nice to see one finally go in.”
The game remained tied through the end of regulation, forcing overtime.
Nazar Delivers in Overtime
Chicago capitalized on the man advantage early in overtime when Nazar ended the game. Positioned in the slot, the rookie snapped a wrist shot past Vanecek for the deciding goal, giving the Blackhawks the extra point.
The victory also marked another milestone night for Connor Bedard. His two assists increased his career total to 116, surpassing Eddie Olczyk for the most assists by a Blackhawks player age 20 or younger. Bedard also recorded his 44th career multipoint game, tying Denis Savard for the most by a Chicago player at age 20 or younger.
Strong Performances Highlight Chicago Effort
Bedard was heavily involved throughout the contest, finishing with a team-high 11 shot attempts and seven individual scoring chances. He also delivered four hits during the first two periods and played a key role in generating offensive pressure.
Ilya Mikheyev also stood out for Chicago, creating multiple high-danger opportunities and playing with noticeable energy throughout the game.
Ryan Donato centered a productive line alongside Mangiapane and Mikheyev, helping the Blackhawks maintain offensive momentum in key moments.
My Observations
Andre Burakovsky finally broke his goal drought with his first goal in 18 games.
Artyom Levshunov continues to play better hockey. He finished with three hits and two blocked shots while skating close to 20 minutes.
Sam Rinzel logged over 22 minutes of ice time, adding two hits and playing very intense minutes on the blue line.
Andrew Mangiapane may have played his best game of the season. He was chippy, aggressive on the forecheck and fun to watch when he plays with that kind of edge. (Oilers)
My Concern
My only concern right now is the lack of ice time for Lardis and Slaggert.
I understand hockey is a business of winning games. But at this point of the season, it should also be a business of evaluating your young prospects.
It’s already March and winning games doesn’t change much in the standings for Chicago. At some point you need to let those young players play and evaluate them properly before the end of the season.
Injury Update
Chicago received discouraging news regarding rookie forward Oliver Moore. Moore suffered a lower-right-leg injury during Sunday’s game in Dallas after crashing into the boards. He did not play against Utah and was ruled out before the team returned home.
According to Blashill, Moore is expected to miss “significant time,” with further updates expected in the coming weeks. The rookie was seen leaving the United Center wearing a walking boot, placing the remainder of his rookie season in jeopardy with only five weeks left in the regular season.
Up Next
The Blackhawks and Mammoth will meet again Thursday in Utah as Chicago looks to extend its season sweep of the series.
GAME STATS
| Stat | Utah | Chicago |
| Shots on Goal | 24 | 26 |
| Face-off % | 47.1% | 52.9% |
| Power Play | 0/2 | 1/4 |
| Hits | 24 | 20 |
| Blocked Shots | 10 | 14 |
| Giveaways | 16 | 11 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 7 |
