Hockey is weird. One week you’re riding a four-game win streak, feeling like the rebuild has finally turned a corner, and the next, you’re staring at the United Center rafters wondering where the offense went. That's basically the vibe in Chicago right now. After a rough Thursday night against Calgary, fans are left dissecting the results of Blackhawks game and what it means for a season that has been, quite frankly, a total roller coaster.
It wasn't just a loss. It was a 3-1 reality check.
Coming off a frustrating 4-1 loss to the Oilers earlier in the week, the Hawks really needed to set the tone early against the Flames. And honestly? They did. Captain Nick Foligno ripped one home just 2:38 into the first period. The building was loud. The energy was there. You’ve seen this script before, right? The veteran leader gets the boys going, and you think, "Okay, we’ve got this."
But then the wheels kinda fell off.
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Thirty-six seconds. That is all it took for Yegor Sharangovich to silence the crowd on a power play. It was a bang-bang sequence assisted by Mikael Backlund and Connor Zary that felt like a bucket of ice water to the face. From there, the Flames just sucked the air out of the game.
The Short-Handed Heartbreak
If you want to know why the results of Blackhawks game ended up in the loss column, look no further than the 6:05 mark of the first period. Chicago was on the power play. This is supposed to be the advantage, the moment to retake the lead. Instead, Mikael Backlund—who was arguably the best player on the ice all night—picked Andre Burakovsky’s pocket near the Calgary blue line.
Backlund took off on a breakaway. He didn't miss.
That short-handed goal was a backbreaker. It highlighted a recurring issue for this young roster: puck management under pressure. When you’re in a rebuild, these "learning moments" happen, but man, they sting when they happen at home.
The rest of the game was a slog. A scoreless second period saw both teams trading chances, but Spencer Knight kept the Hawks in it. He stopped 20 of 22 shots on the night, which isn't a bad performance, but when your offense only gives you one goal, you have to be perfect. Knight wasn't the problem. The lack of run support was.
Bedard’s Quiet Night and the Injury Bug
Everyone wants to talk about Connor Bedard. You can't blame them. He's the franchise. But Thursday was a quiet one for #98. He finished the night minus-2 with no points. To be fair, he was just coming back from an illness that kept him out of the Edmonton game on Monday. You could tell he was a step slow. He didn't have that usual "on a string" puck handling that makes defenders look silly.
The Hawks were also missing Teuvo Teravainen, who is dealing with an upper-body injury. When you take a playmaker like Teravainen out of the mix, the lines get jumbled, and the chemistry sort of evaporates. It forced guys like Tyler Bertuzzi and Ryan Donato to carry a heavier load, but the Flames' defense, led by a solid performance from Devin Cooley in net (22 saves), didn't give them an inch.
Breaking Down the Results of Blackhawks Game
When you look at the stats, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The Hawks outshot the Flames 23-22, so it’s not like they weren't getting pucks to the net. They also won the faceoff battle 27-25. But they went 0-for-2 on the power play and, as mentioned, gave up that backbreaking short-handed goal.
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It’s about quality over quantity.
Calgary played a heavy road game. They were 2-3 on their road trip and desperate to finish strong. They clogged the neutral zone and made it impossible for Chicago’s young speedsters to get anything going in transition. By the time Matt Coronato tucked in the empty-netter with 1:01 left in the third, the outcome felt inevitable.
Here is the thing about this season: the Blackhawks are currently 19-21-7. They aren't the worst team in the league anymore—not even close—but they aren't quite ready to hang with the big dogs on a nightly basis. They sit 7th in the Central Division. It’s a grind.
- The Power Play Problem: The man advantage has been stagnant lately. Without Teravainen’s vision, the entry into the zone looks clunky.
- The "Bedard Factor": Opposing coaches are now shadowing Bedard with their best defensive pairings. He’s seeing the toughest matchups every single shift.
- Goaltending Stability: Spencer Knight has been a bright spot. Even in losses, he’s giving them a chance. His 2.61 GAA on the season is a massive improvement over what the Hawks have had in recent years.
What Needs to Change Moving Forward
So, what do the results of Blackhawks game tell us about the next few weeks? For starters, they need to get healthy. Having Teravainen back is crucial for the second line. But more than that, the "middle six" forwards have to start chipping in. You can't rely on Bedard and Bertuzzi to do everything.
The schedule doesn't get any easier either. They’re in the middle of a four-game homestand, and the Boston Bruins are looming. If they play the same way they did against Calgary—loose with the puck and hesitant on the power play—the Bruins will eat them alive.
Coach Jeff Blashill has been preaching "details." It’s a coaching cliché, sure, but it’s true. Missing a backcheck or telegraphing a pass across the blue line is the difference between a win and a loss in this league.
Honestly, the fans at the United Center deserve a bit better than the 7-2 scoring margin the Hawks have put up over the last two games. The rebuild is a process, but the honeymoon phase of "just being happy to have Bedard" is starting to wear off. People want to see competitive hockey.
If you're looking for a silver lining, Artyom Levshunov continues to look like a stud on the back end. His poise for a 20-year-old is ridiculous. He’s eating minutes and making smart outlets. Between him and Wyatt Kaiser, the future of the blue line looks legit.
To get back in the win column, the Hawks need to tighten up the neutral zone and find a way to spark the power play. Watching the results of Blackhawks game tape will be a long session for the players this weekend. They have to find that "greasy" style of play again—winning board battles and getting ugly goals in the crease. The finesse game isn't working right now.
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Keep an eye on the injury report. If Teravainen remains out, expect some more roster shuffling from Rockford. This team is at a crossroads in their January schedule, and how they respond to this two-game skid will define their winter.
Check the line combinations before the Bruins game. If Bedard is back to 100% health, expect him to be much more aggressive. Focus on the first ten minutes; if the Hawks can avoid giving up an early equalizer like they did against the Flames, they might just have a shot at an upset. Focus on the defensive rotations—specifically how the d-men handle the rush—because that's where the Flames exploited them most.