Prospects Impress in Blackhawks Shootout Loss

The Chicago Blackhawks were inches away from stealing Wednesday’s game. With five seconds remaining left in regulation, captain Nick Foligno had a wide-open net but rang his shot off the post, a moment he couldn’t believe afterward. That miss sent the game to a shootout, where Chicago eventually fell by a 3-2 (1-0) score to the New York Islanders.

Short-handed without Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar, the Blackhawks still found a way to compete. Spencer Knight delivered a strong bounce-back performance after a rough outing last Sunday, keeping the team in the game when it mattered most. The young core also stepped up, as Oliver Moore, Nick Lardis, and Artyom Levshunov all turned in solid, composed performances.

Despite the loss, it was another example of Chicago’s prospects pushing the pace and taking on bigger roles. The shootout defeat closed out a difficult month of December for the Blackhawks, who finished with a 2-10-2 record.

Game Summary

1st Period – Islanders Lead 2–0

The Islanders didn’t take long to strike first. Just 2:56 into the opening period, rookie Calum Ritchie scored his fifth goal of the season to give New York a 1–0 lead. A turnover by Wyatt Kaiser inside the defensive zone proved costly, as Maxim Shabanov intercepted the puck to keep the play alive. The Islanders quickly turned it into a 2-on-1 rush, and Simon Holmström found Ritchie alone in the slot, where he beat Spencer Knight.

The early goal continued a troubling trend for Chicago. When the Blackhawks allow the first goal of the game, they’ve managed just one win all season, dropping their record to 1-13-3 in those situations.

Things got worse moments later. With Andre Burakovsky serving a minor penalty, Bo Horvat wasted no time on the power play, ripping a one-timer past Knight just 36 seconds into the advantage to make it 2–0. Artyom Levshunov nearly pulled Chicago back into the game late in the period, but his shot rang off the crossbar.

The Islanders’ speed through the neutral zone and aggressive forecheck caused consistent problems for the Blackhawks, especially in transition.

Period Stats

Shot Attempts: 20–20 (Tied)
Shots on Goal: NYI 10, CHI 7
Scoring Chances: NYI 13, CHI 10

2nd Period – Game Tied (2-2)

The second period has been a major issue for the Blackhawks this season, entering the game with a minus-13 goal differential, but that wasn’t the case on this night.

Early in the period, Chicago suffered a setback when Jason Dickinson did not return to the bench. He left the game and is considered day-to-day. Despite that loss, the Blackhawks responded with one of their strongest periods in weeks, led by Artyom Levshunov.

Levshunov was outstanding throughout the frame, carrying the puck with confidence, jumping into the rush, and staying highly active in the offensive zone. He was Chicago’s best player on the ice during the period.

The comeback started at 15:31 following a faceoff win. Levshunov spotted open ice, skated the puck forward, and moved it to Oliver Moore, who completed a quick give-and-go with Teuvo Teräväinen. Teräväinen finished the play with a precise wrist shot for his seventh goal of the season, cutting the Islanders’ lead to 2–1.

Chicago tied the game with just three seconds remaining in the period. On the power play, Nick Lardis scored his second NHL goal, converting a late chance to make it 2–2. Moore picked up his second assist of the period on the play.

The goal was significant for a struggling power play. It marked just the team’s second power-play goal in the last 10 games and only their fourth of the month. Since Connor Bedard’s injury, the Blackhawks are now 2-for-20 with the man advantage. A goal they badly needed.

Period Stats

Shot Attempts: CHI 40, NYI 30
Shots on Goal: CHI 15, NYI 14
Scoring Chances: NYI 19, CHI 15

BOOM BOOM BOOM🗣️

(now let me hear you say Teuvoooo) pic.twitter.com/EpQ3sLpB97
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 31, 2025

3rd Period

Both teams showed signs of fatigue in a quiet third period, combining for just nine shots on goal — six by the Islanders and three by the Blackhawks. Quality chances were limited, but Chicago came close to breaking the deadlock twice. Artyom Levshunov rang another shot off the post, his second of the night, and with just five seconds remaining, Nick Foligno hit the post on an empty-net chance that nearly ended the game in regulation.

The Islanders had the only power play of the period but were unable to capitalize, as the Blackhawks’ penalty kill held firm.

Overtime – Scoreless

Overtime followed a similar pattern, with little flow and only three total shots on goal between the two teams. Ryan Greene had a strong look early in the extra frame but couldn’t convert.

The Islanders went to the power play with 2:17 remaining after Levshunov was called for tripping. Ch

Shootout

The shootout ultimately decided the game after 65 scoreless minutes. Nick Lardis and Teuvo Teräväinen were stopped on Chicago’s first two attempts, while Bo Horvat scored in the second round for New York to give the Islanders the edge. Ryan Donato was denied on Chicago’s final attempt, sealing a 3–2 shootout loss for the Blackhawks.

Despite falling short, Chicago showed resilience after a difficult start, battling back to earn a point without Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar in the lineup. The young core played meaningful minutes and continued to show growth in high-pressure situations, even as fine margins proved costly on this night.

Oliver Moore had two assists for the Blackhawks (14-18-7), who have lost two in a row and eight of nine (1-7-1). Spencer Knight made 19 saves.

Inside the Locker Room

Jeff Blashill (Head Coach):
“You can look at it two ways,” Blashill said. “You can look at it as a good job recovering from a bad start and playing real well the rest of the way. After the 10-minute mark, we had the chances 14–8 in our favor. But in the first 10 minutes, it was 5–1 for them. For me, that was as poor a start as we’ve had.

“I know the other night against Pittsburgh we got scored on more, but tonight it was about our mental focus early. I didn’t think we were where we needed to be in that first 10 minutes. When that happens, you let a game slip away because you’re not prepared to play great hockey for a full 60 minutes.”

Oliver Moore:
“I think we for sure got it together, but that’s been the case the last couple of games now,” Moore said about the slow starts. “If we start better, we’re winning that game 10 times out of 10. That’s what it comes down to. It’s a tough league, it’s a non-forgiving league, and we’ve got to start on time.”

Nick Lardis:
“I just tried to hustle for the puck,” Lardis said. “I kind of turned the puck over before that, so I felt like I owed it to our unit to get it back. With a couple seconds left, Moore made a great play, found some open ice, and it worked out.”

Game Stats

Stat	Islanders	Blackhawks
Shots on Goal	21	19
Face-off %	54%	46%
Power Play	1/3	1/2
Penalty Minutes	8	6
Hits	28	23
Blocked Shots	9	16
Giveaways	24	12
Takeaways	6	5

Blackhawks Players Highlights

Oliver Moore 0 G 2 A 2 PTS TOI 15:20 1 SOG

Nick Lardis 1 G 1 PTS TOI 15:P12 5 SOG 2 HITS

Teuvo Teravainen 1 G 1 PTS TOI 17:46 2 SOG

Ayrtom Levshunov 1 A 1 PTS TOI 22:43 1 BLK 2 HITS

Spencer Knight 2 goals on 21 shots .905%

Three Stars of the Game

B. Horvat

#14 • NYI • Center

G: 1 | A: 0 | P: 1

C. Ritchie

#64 • NYI • Center

G: 1 | A: 0 | P: 1

O. Moore

#11 • CHI • Center

G: 0 | A: 2 | P: 2

My Takeaway

The young prospects stepped up in a big way in this game. Oliver Moore, Nick Lardis, and Artyom Levshunov were given meaningful minutes, and for once, Jeff Blashill trusted them in key situations. The kids delivered and did not disappoint.

Oliver Moore had his best game since joining the Blackhawks this season. He finished with two assists and won 72.7% of his faceoffs, showing confidence and maturity down the middle. Playing between Teuvo Teräväinen and Nick Lardis, Moore drove the line, and both of his linemates found the back of the net. His pace, vision, and puck support stood out all night.

Nick Lardis continues to earn more responsibility. He played over 15 minutes for the second straight game and scored his second goal of the season in just eight NHL games. He was inches away from ending the game in the shootout, ringing a shot off the crossbar. Lardis is a smart hockey player with a quick, dangerous release. He recorded five shots in this game and now has 10 shots over his last three games. There is clear chemistry developing between Moore and Lardis.

Artyom Levshunov was rock-solid on the blue line. He hit the post twice, jumped into the rush with confidence, and was heavily involved offensively. On Chicago’s first goal, Levshunov recognized the opening, attacked the hole, and helped create the sequence that led to the Teräväinen finish. He also played a responsible defensive game, showing composure beyond his years.

Overall, this was a strong bounce-back performance after the ugly loss to Pittsburgh. Without Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar, the Blackhawks still competed hard and gave themselves a chance to win. They were one post away from ending it late in regulation when Nick Foligno missed an empty net. The result didn’t go their way, but the effort — especially from the young core — was exactly what you want to see.