The Chicago Blackhawks’ recent struggles continued Saturday night, as they suffered their fourth loss in the last five games, falling 4–0 to the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center. Former Blackhawks Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat made the difference against their old team, combining for five points to lead Detroit.
Chicago played without Connor Bedard, sidelined by an upper-body injury, and struggled to generate offense in his absence. Nick Lardis made his NHL debut, stepping into Bedard’s spot in the lineup, but the Blackhawks were unable to find answers offensively as Detroit controlled the game from start to finish.
Game Summary:
After a special pregame ceremony celebrating the Chicago Blackhawks’ Centennial, the night quickly shifted from celebration to frustration. The Blackhawks never found their footing early, surrendering two goals in the opening 4:35 and falling 4–0 to the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center.
Detroit struck just 55 seconds into the game when former Blackhawk Alex DeBrincat found a hole through Arvid Söderblom to open the scoring. The Red Wings doubled the lead at 4:35, as Patrick Kane finished a 2-on-1 rush with a backhand goal, once again looking completely at home on United Center ice. By the end of the first period, Kane and DeBrincat — two ex-Blackhawks — had already combined for four points, setting the tone early.
The vibe inside the building felt unusual despite a capacity crowd of 20,751, the Blackhawks’ biggest attendance since February 25, 2024 — also against Detroit. With Connor Bedard out, Kane ran the show, and Detroit carried a 2–0 lead into the first intermission.
Chicago pushed back in the second period and showed better pace. Tyler Bertuzzi narrowly missed a wide-open net from a sharp angle, and Ryan Donato drew the Blackhawks’ first power play of the night. Nick Lardis, making his NHL debut, took Bedard’s spot on the top power-play unit and generated a couple of looks, but Detroit stayed composed.
Late in the period, the Red Wings extended the lead to 3–0 when Emmitt Finnie buried a rebound in front, taking the air out of the building. Despite Chicago holding the edge in shot attempts, Detroit exited the second intermission firmly in control.
The third period followed a familiar script from stretches of 2023–24 when Bedard was sidelined — the Blackhawks worked, competed, but struggled to create finish. DeBrincat sealed the outcome with an empty-net goal, his 18th of the season, capping a three-point night as Detroit closed out the 4–0 shutout.
Patrick Kane finished with a goal and an assist, scoring his 498th career NHL goal, moving within two of becoming the fifth U.S.-born player to reach 500 goals. Kane now sits at 1,366 career points, closing in on Mike Modano (1,374) for the most points by an American-born player in NHL history.
After the game, head coach Jeff Blashill defended his team’s effort despite the score.
“I don’t know if I’d classify it as bad as you thought,” Blashill said. “We didn’t give much up in the second period until the last five minutes. I thought we had chances early that we didn’t convert, and they did. I was really proud of our guys in the third.”
Blashill also explained his decision to play Nick Lardis with other rookies, saying it allowed the young forward to play freely without feeling pressure to defer. Lardis recorded two shots on goal in 14:46 of ice time, including 4:52 on the power play, in his NHL debut.
For the Blackhawks, it marked their fourth loss in five games, and another reminder of how difficult offense becomes without their young star in the lineup.
Game Stats
| Stat | Red Wings | Blackhawks |
| Goals | 4 | 0 |
| Shots on Goal | 24 | 26 |
| Faceoff Win % | 36.4% | 63.6% |
| Power Play | 0/3 | 0/3 |
| Penalty Minutes | 6 | 6 |
| Hits | 15 | 30 |
| Blocked Shots | 21 | 7 |
| Giveaways | 13 | 10 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 2 |
Three Stars of the Game
⭐ 1st Star – John Gibson (DET, G)
26 saves | Shutout | SV%: 1.000
⭐ 2nd Star – Alex DeBrincat (DET, RW)
2 goals | 1 assist | 3 points
⭐ 3rd Star – Patrick Kane (DET, RW)
1 goal | 1 assist | 2 points | 498th career NHL goal
NOTES
- Connor Bedard missed the game with an upper-body injury. Head coach Jeff Blashill confirmed Bedard will also miss the upcoming three-game road trip.
- Nick Lardis made his NHL debut and delivered an encouraging performance. The rookie logged 15:32 of ice time, recorded eight shot attempts, two shots on goal, one blocked shot, and five hits, showing confidence and pace in a top-nine role.
- Colton Dach provided physicality, finishing with five hits and three shots on goal, tied with Frank Nazar for the team lead in shots.
- Tyler Bertuzzi, Frank Nazar, and Andre Burakovsky each finished minus-3, combining for a minus-9 rating on the night.
- Artyom Levshunov logged a season-high 23:59 of ice time, his seventh straight game playing over 20 minutes, continuing to earn trust in all situations.
- Arvid Söderblom stopped 20 of 23 shots for a .870 save percentage. It marked his fourth straight loss, and he now carries a 5.75 goals-against average over his last four games.
- #Blackhawks bring back soloist Wayne Messmer and organist Frank Pellico for the National Anthem to help recreate the Chicago Stadium atmosphere. Incredible.
Blackhawks by the Numbers
2 — Only two of Chicago’s seven December games have featured three or more goals scored.
2.10 — The Blackhawks are averaging 2.10 goals per game over their last 11 games.
3 — Chicago has been shut out three times in its last 11 games.
3 — The Blackhawks have recorded just three wins in their last 13 games.
4 — Chicago has lost four of its last five games.
10.5% — The Blackhawks’ power play has scored two goals on 19 opportunities in December (10.5%).
11 — The Blackhawks have scored 11 total goals in December across seven games (1.57 goals per game).
18 — Ilya Mikheyev has gone 18 games without a goal and 14 games without a point.
20 — Frank Nazar has not scored a goal in his last 20 games.
Final Thoughts
This game was a reminder of how fragile the Blackhawks’ offense becomes without Connor Bedard in the lineup. The effort was there at times, especially in the second and third periods, but the lack of finish and creativity was obvious. Chicago generated shot attempts and worked hard along the boards, yet rarely forced Detroit into uncomfortable situations.
The night quickly slipped away in the opening minutes, with two early goals setting the tone. From there, the Blackhawks were chasing the game against a veteran Red Wings team that stayed structured and capitalized on its chances. Former Hawks Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat made the difference, showing the separation that elite skill can create.
There were still positives to build on. Nick Lardis’ NHL debut was encouraging, Artyom Levshunov continued to log heavy minutes, and the team showed push late despite the score. But until Chicago finds consistent scoring — especially on the power play — wins will remain hard to come by during this stretch.
Next Game
The Blackhawks begin a three-game road trip through Eastern Canada next week, starting Tuesday, December 16, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The trip continues Thursday in Montreal before wrapping up Saturday in Ottawa.
All three games are scheduled for 6:00 PM CDT.
Chicago will then return home to play one final game before the Christmas break.
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
lackhawks Week in Recap (Week 8)
Blackhawks Week In Review: (Week 9)
Blackhawks October Report Card
Blackhawks: November Report Card
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