The Chicago Blackhawks delivered one of their most structured performances of the season, shutting out the New York Rangers 3–0 at the United Center. After getting outscored 13–1 on their West Coast trip, Chicago responded with urgency, discipline, and a full-team effort from start to finish. Spencer Knight was rock-solid with 21 saves for his second shutout of the year, while Connor Bedard, Louis Crevier, and Tyler Bertuzzi supplied the offense in a convincing bounce-back win.
Game Summary — Blackhawks 3, Rangers 0
The Chicago Blackhawks delivered one of their most structured performances of the season, shutting out the New York Rangers 3–0 at the United Center. After getting outscored 13–1 over two games in California, Chicago responded with discipline, urgency, and a steady 60-minute effort.
1st Period — Rangers Start Fast, Hawks Take Over
The Rangers opened the game with immediate pace, pushing Chicago back in the first few shifts. But it didn’t take long for the Blackhawks to settle, find their structure, and begin dictating the play.
Chicago controlled most of the period with aggressive forechecking, quick puck movement out of their zone, and clean defensive layers — a massive improvement from the two difficult losses over the weekend.
The Hawks outworked New York in transition and created the better scoring chances. Even without a single power play in the period, Chicago generated momentum 5-on-5 and spent extended time in the offensive zone.
- Shot attempts: 23–15 CHI
- Shots on goal: 10–6 CHI
- Scoring chances: 10–7 CHI
A scoreless period, but a clear positive step for a team that needed a strong start.
Blashill:
“I thought we did a really good job through the 60 minutes. The first was really good — that’s the kind of start we needed after last weekend.”
2nd Period — Crevier Opens the Scoring, Bedard Extends It
Chicago finally broke through with a shorthanded strike.
Louis Crevier scored his 3rd goal of the season, taking a blue-line-to-blue-line pass from Matt Grzelcyk and beating Shesterkin on the backhand at 7:08. It was the Blackhawks’ second SHG of the season.
Chicago followed it up with another strong shift, and later Connor Bedard scored his 19th of the year on a clean one-timer from Andre Burakovsky, giving him his 12th multi-point game of the season.
- Shot attempts: 40–36 CHI
- Shots on goal: 18–17 CHI
- Scoring chances: 19–14 CHI
This was a huge moment for Chicago: they entered the game with a –13 goal differential in second periods, worst in the NHL. Tonight, they scored two and controlled the pace.
Blashill also singled out Frank Nazar for his intensity:
“Frank Nazar was as good as he’s played probably all season… strong on the puck, using his speed. If he plays like that consistently, the points will come.”
Chicago improved to 8-1-1 when leading after two periods.
3rd Period — Bertuzzi Seals It, Knight Finishes the Job
Early in the third, Tyler Bertuzzi scored his 16th goal of the season, jamming in a rebound from the left side of the goalie to extend the lead to 3–0.
From there, the Hawks played composed, detailed hockey:
- no panic with the puck
- strong defensive layers
- controlled gaps
- blocked shots when needed
Spencer Knight was calm and efficient throughout, finishing with 21 saves for his second shutout of the season.
Chicago’s penalty kill was flawless, going 3-for-3 and allowing nothing clean to the Rangers’ top unit.
Blashill on the full effort:
“It was certainly a complete game. The type of hockey that leads to success. We’ll keep building off it.”
Rangers coach Mike Sullivan added:
“They were quicker. They played with more urgency… and we didn’t match it.”
Notes:
Knight became the fifth Blackhawks goalie in the modern era (since 1943-44) to have multiple shutouts in a season at age 24 or younger. The others: Jocelyn Thibault (four in 1998-99), Harry Lumley (three in 1950-51), Michael Leighton (two in 2003-04) and Jimmy Waite (two in 1992-93). … With his 39th career multipoint game, Bedard moved into a tie with Patrick Kane for the fourth-most by a Chicago player age 20 or younger, behind Denis Savard (44), Jeremy Roenick (41) and Eddie Olczyk (41)
Game Stats
| STAT | RANGERS | BLACKHAWKS |
| Shots on Goal | 21 | 25 |
| Faceoff % | 68.1% | 31.9% |
| Power Play | 0/3 | 0/2 |
| Penalty Minutes | 8 | 6 |
| Hits | 36 | 12 |
| Blocked Shots | 13 | 14 |
| Giveaways | 16 | 9 |
| Takeaways | 2 | 7 |
Blackhawks Players Highlights
Connor Bedard 1G 1A 2PTS TOI 17:34 3SOG +2
Tyler Bertuzzi 1G 1PTS TOI 18:00 2SOG 2BLK 1 HITS
Louis Crevier 1G 1PTS GWG SHG +2 TOI 17:18 3SOG 2HITS
Ryan Greene 1A 1PTS TOI 16:51 3SOG 1BLK +2
Matt Grzelcyk 1A 1PTS +2 TOI 19:45 1BLK
Spencer Knight 1 Shutout 21 saves
3 Stars of the Game
1. Spencer Knight (CHI)
GAA: 0.00 | SV%: 1.000
2. Connor Bedard (CHI)
G: 1 | A: 1 | P: 2
3. Louis Crevier (CHI)
G: 1 | A: 0 | P: 1
My Takeaway
The Blackhawks bounced back from a nightmare weekend where they gave up 13 goals, and tonight we finally saw the response they needed — a committed, connected, and fully structured team performance. This wasn’t luck. It was effort, execution, and discipline from start to finish.
Jeff Blashill made a clear coaching decision to trust his entire bench, rolling four lines and all three defense pairings. When you look at the time on ice, you see exactly what he wanted: no forward over 20 minutes and no defenseman under 17 minutes. That’s balanced usage, smart game management, and it kept everyone fresh enough to maintain pressure and structure all night.
Spencer Knight didn’t face a heavy workload with only 21 shots, but he made the key saves you need in a tight game and earned his second shutout of the season. When Knight and Bedard shine on the same night, the Blackhawks usually walk out with two points — and that was the case again.
Connor Bedard picked up his 12th multi-point game of the season and the 39th of his career, tying Patrick Kane for the fourth-most by a Blackhawks player before the age of 20. He continues to be the offensive engine of this team, and his one-timer goal was the turning point of the night.
Overall, Chicago’s play with the puck and without it was noticeably better. They were more connected, more organized, and far more structured than we saw in California. All six defensemen delivered solid coverage, and Levshunov quietly put together another strong performance.
But my obscure player of the game was Frank Nazar. He didn’t show up on the scoresheet, but his speed, puck pressure, board battles, and overall involvement were exactly what Blashill praised after the game. Those are winning details, and his effort helped drive Chicago’s pace.
This win matters. It lifts the team’s morale, gets them back home on the right foot, and pushes them back into a playoff spot. The Blackhawks handled the toughest game of a homestand — the first one — and showed they can protect a lead and deliver a better second period when it counts.
A structured response, a balanced lineup, and star players producing when needed.
Chicago needed this one, and they earned it.
Next Game
Friday, Dec. 13 — In St. Louis vs. Blues 7:00PM CDT
This is the second matchup of the four-game season series. The Blackhawks won the first meeting in St. Louis back on October 15, an 8–3 victory where their offense exploded. Since then, the Blues have tightened up and improved their overall play. They come into this game 5-4-1 in their last 10.
It will also be a back-to-back situation for the Blues, which is something Chicago needs to take advantage of by playing a structured, disciplined game from the start. Good details, good forecheck, and smart puck management will be key on the road.
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)
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