The Florida Panthers blew the game open with four goals in the third period to cruise past the Chicago Blackhawks 5–1 on Sunday night at the United Center. Florida continued its strong stretch, earning its sixth win in the last eight games, while Chicago showed clear signs of fatigue while closing out a stretch of three games in four nights, going 1-1-1 during that span.
The Blackhawks struggled to maintain pace as the game progressed and failed to generate a meaningful push once Florida seized control. Offensive urgency was lacking, a familiar issue that continues to haunt the team. Chicago’s power play came up empty again, extending its drought to seven straight games without a power-play goal and an 0-for-17 skid that remains the club’s biggest offensive concern.
Game Summary
The Chicago Blackhawks and Florida Panthers played a scoreless first period Sunday night at the United Center, with both teams trading limited chances and neither able to break through. Florida opened the scoring late in the second period when Tobias Bjornfot scored his first goal of the season at 15:33, wrapping the puck around the net following a faceoff win. Tyler Bertuzzi answered for Chicago at 19:30, snapping a six-game goal drought with his 25th goal of the season to send the game tied 1–1 into the third period.
The Panthers took control early in the third. Mackie Samoskevich gave Florida a 2–1 lead at 5:20 with his fifth goal of the season, and Carter Verhaeghe followed just over two minutes later at 7:24 with his 15th, a sequence that proved decisive and put the game out of reach for Chicago. Sam Reinhart added an empty-net goal at 18:11 before Bjornfot scored his second of the night with 22 seconds remaining, sealing the 5–1 final. It marked the first multi-goal game of Bjornfot’s NHL career.
Connor Bedard finished minus-3 in 17:41 of ice time and has four points (one goal, three assists) in eight games since returning Jan. 9 from an upper-body injury that caused him to miss 12 games. Head coach Jeff Blashill acknowledged the challenges Bedard has faced since coming back, as well as the impact of line adjustments.
“Yeah, I think he’d be the first to tell you, since he’s been back, I think there have been moments when he’s going good and moments where he hasn’t,” Blashill said. “That’s the ebb and flow of reality at times of the year. When you’re out a long time, it’s hard to get your mojo back sometimes. We’ve got to play with the lines. Maybe that’s hurt him, not having consistency there. Sometimes you’re trying to spark guys and you end up hurting them by making too many changes.”
Chicago captain Nick Foligno pointed to breakdowns in execution as the deciding factor in the third period.
“Our thirds have actually been our better periods,” Foligno said. “Especially against a team that just played a tough schedule, they get in real late and all the excuses — we’ve just got to find a way to get that job done. Tonight was one of those games where you feel like you beat yourself. Just the goals that we gave up were breakdowns in the way we normally know how to play.”
Spencer Knight made 20 saves for the Blackhawks (21-23-8), who were 2-0-1 in their previous three games. Chicago’s power play remained scoreless, but the penalty kill continued to be a bright spot in January, allowing just two goals over 13 games for a 93.8 percent success rate.
Game Observation:
1- Offensive Drought and the Impact of Teräväinen
The Blackhawks’ recent offensive struggles are hard to ignore. Watching their last few games closely, the lack of creativity and quality scoring chances stands out immediately. This raises an important question: is this decline directly linked to the absence of Teuvo Teräväinen from the lineup?
Since Teräväinen has been out, Chicago has struggled to generate offense both at even strength and on the power play. Over the last six games without him, the Blackhawks have scored just 11 goals (1.83 goals per game). By comparison, during the first six games of January with Teräväinen in the lineup, they averaged 3.50 goals per game. That contrast is significant.
Teräväinen is a key piece of the Blackhawks’ top-six forward group, even if his impact doesn’t always show up clearly on the scoresheet. Head coach Jeff Blashill has been constantly shuffling the lines in search of chemistry, and with Connor Bedard returning from injury, the offensive flow has not looked the same. Bedard is still finding his rhythm, and without Teräväinen, the structure around him has weakened.
While Teräväinen may not be a true “driver” offensively, he is an elite playmaker. His value lies in the details of the game: his vision, hockey IQ, and ability to slow the pace when needed. He rarely panics with the puck. Instead, he holds onto it, reads the ice, and executes with precision. This style creates space for his linemates and opens up passing and shooting lanes that simply aren’t there without him.
Teräväinen’s awareness and ability to find teammates consistently elevate the entire line’s effectiveness. His experience plays a role, but more importantly, his decision-making stabilizes offensive possessions. This is why he remains one of the most underrated players in the NHL. With six 50-point seasons and a strong two-way reputation, he has proven to be a reliable and responsible player throughout his career. His plus-minus history in Carolina—only one negative season in eight—further underlines his impact away from the puck.
In short, Teräväinen’s absence is more than just a missing body in the lineup; it removes a key connective piece in the Blackhawks’ offensive structure.
2- Connor Bedard
Connor Bedard is clearly not the same player he was before his shoulder injury, and the numbers support what shows up on the eye test.
Eight games after returning, Bedard is still searching for his first goal on a goaltender. His only goal so far is an empty-netter, and he has just one goal and three assists in those eight games. That production is a sharp contrast to his pre-injury pace, when he had 19 goals and 25 assists in 31 games and was driving more than 40% of the Blackhawks’ offense.
There are contextual factors to consider. Bedard battled illness for several days after returning, and constant line changes haven’t helped build chemistry. However, those factors alone don’t fully explain the drop in his impact.
From a scouting perspective, the biggest difference is his speed with the puck. According to NHL EDGE data and in-game observation, his top skating speed and burst have declined compared to before the injury. That loss of pace affects his ability to create separation, attack defenders off the rush, and generate high-danger scoring chances.
At five-on-five, Bedard is creating fewer scoring chances — averaging just 3.6 chances per 60 minutes since returning, down from 8.0 before the injury. His zone entries with possession, puck control in the offensive zone, and overall chance creation have all fallen to below-average levels. He is also shooting less, with fewer attempts per game and fewer shots coming from dangerous areas.
The power play reflects this struggle as well. Chicago went 0-for-3 against Florida, and the unit is now 0-for-17 over the last seven games. Bedard is not driving the power play the way he did earlier in the season, when he dictated pace, controlled space, and forced defensive breakdowns.
Right now, Bedard looks like a player lacking confidence. He is moving the puck quicker than usual, not holding onto it long enough to manipulate defenders, and often rushing decisions instead of letting the game develop in front of him. At his best, Bedard controls the tempo, slows the game down, and attacks at the right moment — that element is missing at the moment.
This isn’t about effort or talent. It’s about timing, rhythm, and adaptation after an injury in the middle of a long NHL season. Bedard remains the player who needs to elevate his game for Chicago’s offense to recover.
The good news is that this looks temporary. It’s rarely easy for a young NHL star to return midseason and immediately find peak form after missing weeks. Bedard will rediscover his game — it’s more a question of when, not if. But until then, the Blackhawks will continue to feel the impact of his reduced offensive influence.
Next Game
The Blackhawks return to the ice Tuesday night in Minnesota at 7:00 PM CDT. Chicago will face a Wild team that is dealing with several injuries to key players and has gone 4-4-2 over its last 10 games. This will be the second meeting of four between the two teams this season.
Minnesota took the first matchup with a 4-3 win on November 26 at the United Center, but with both teams trending inconsistently, this game presents an opportunity for the Blackhawks to respond and test themselves against a weakened Wild lineup.
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