A-000 Cover sheet · Chicago Blackhawks, game 15 of 82
Two goals in seven minutes. Then five for Colorado.
Wyatt Kaiser and Roman Kantserov had the United Center loud early on Monday night. The Avalanche answered with five unanswered goals, Patrick Kane left with an upper-body injury, and Chicago starts a three-game road trip at 4-10-1, last in the Central.
CHI 2
A-101 Game plan, as built
Scrub the game clock
Drag the slider, use the arrow keys, or jump to a goal. Pucks appear in front of the net each goal went into; their spots on the ice are schematic, not shot locations.
The start was everything the Hawks wanted. Kaiser's shot from the point went in off Cale Makar's stick 57 seconds in, and Kantserov finished a two-on-one from Connor Bedard at 7:05. Colorado then had a goal by Martin Necas taken off the board on Chicago's goaltender-interference challenge, but the reprieve was brief: Nazem Kadri and Jaden Schwartz scored 26 seconds apart late in the first, Kadri added a power-play goal in the second, and Schwartz beat the period-ending horn by about 10 seconds. Devon Toews closed it into an empty net.
Second City Hockey's shot-attempt numbers tell the same story: Colorado dominated five-on-five play in the first period, the second was close, and Chicago pushed hardest in the third, when it trailed by two. One more thread from the night: Artyom Levshunov's hit on Makar drew criticism from the Avalanche bench.
A-102 Detail: the homecoming
Kane's return hits a pause
Patrick Kane left in the second period with an upper-body injury. Coach Jeff Blashill said afterward he will miss at least the next couple of games, and he is not traveling for the trip through Florida and Carolina.
It interrupts the story of the fall. Chicago traded Kane to the Rangers in 2023; after three one-year deals in Detroit he signed back with the Blackhawks on July 23 for two years and $16 million, and was named an alternate captain. On Oct. 29 Detroit welcomed him back to Little Caesars Arena with a tribute video and a long ovation. Two nights later in Boston he picked up the 900th assist of his career.
The production has been mostly setup work: one goal, in the opener at Vegas on Sept. 29, and eight assists in 15 games. He turns 38 on Nov. 19.
Also out: defenseman Bowen Byram, acquired from Buffalo in June, who has missed eight straight games with an upper-body injury and is seeing a specialist.
Patrick Kane, by the numbers
- 1,225
- Points with Chicago, second in franchise history
- 446
- Goals with Chicago, third in franchise history
- 3
- Stanley Cups: 2010, 2013, 2015
- 900
- Career assists, reached Oct. 31 at Boston
- 1 + 8
- Goals and assists in 15 games this season
- $8M
- Cap hit per season through 2027-28
A-103 Detail: the core
Bedard is producing; the kids are scoring
Connor Bedard, named the franchise's 37th captain on Sept. 15 and signed in July to a five-year, $75 million extension, opened the season on the injured list after shoulder surgery. He returned Oct. 13 against Pittsburgh, weeks ahead of the original November target.
Through nine games back he has four goals and six assists, and his assist on Kantserov's goal Monday stretched his point streak to six games. He has scored in three of the last five: at home against Montreal, at Detroit, and on a rush to put Chicago up 4-2 in Boston.
That Boston game is the season in miniature. The Hawks put 41 shots on the Bruins, their most in a game since March 2024, rookie Anton Frondell scored twice, and they still lost 5-4 in overtime after Morgan Geekie tied it with 10 seconds left in regulation.
Young scorers to watch
- 10
- Bedard points in 9 games since returning
- 6
- Roman Kantserov goals, after Monday's one-timer
- 2
- Anton Frondell goals in Boston, his best NHL night so far
- 21:42
- Frank Nazar's team-high ice time Monday
- 2
- Wyatt Kaiser goals, including the Oct. 27 winner over L.A.
A-104 Schedule of materials: 15 games
The season, wrapped on a stick
One wrap of tape per game, blade to knob. Red is a regulation loss, white a win, blue the overtime loss in Boston. Chicago has scored 33 goals and allowed 58; it is 4-5 at home and 0-5-1 on the road.
A-105 Site plan: the Central Division
Eight teams, and Chicago is eighth
Standings as of Tuesday morning. Minnesota leads; the dashed line marks the top three, who get the division's guaranteed playoff spots. Chicago is two points behind Winnipeg and six behind St. Louis and Nashville.
| # | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota Wild | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
| 2 | Colorado Avalanche | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 19 |
| 3 | Utah Mammoth | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 18 |
| 4 | Dallas Stars | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 17 |
| 5 | St. Louis Blues | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 15 |
| 6 | Nashville Predators | 14 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 15 |
| 7 | Winnipeg Jets | 15 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 11 |
| 8 | Chicago Blackhawks | 15 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 9 |
A-106 Next phase
Three games in four nights, all on the road
6:30 p.m. CT, Sunrise, Fla. The Panthers won 3-2 at the United Center on Oct. 25.
Second night of a back-to-back.
Carolina won 5-2 in Chicago on Oct. 10.
Chicago has not won a road game yet, and it will be without Kane and Byram. The Hawks come home Nov. 12 against Buffalo.
S-1 References
Sources
- Second City Hockey: Avalanche 5, Blackhawks 2
- VAVEL: Avalanche vs. Blackhawks live score and summary
- Blackhawk Up: Blackhawks fall 5-2 to the Avalanche
- theScore: Kane to miss multiple games with upper-body injury
- BVM Sports: Blashill addresses Kane injury
- Pro Hockey Rumors: Patrick Kane returns on two-year deal
- NHL.com: Red Wings 4, Blackhawks 1 (Oct. 29)
- Chicago Sun-Times: overtime loss to the Bruins
- Second City Hockey: Bruins 5, Blackhawks 4 (OT)
- Second City Hockey: Blackhawks 2, Kings 1
- Second City Hockey: Panthers 3, Blackhawks 2
- CBS Sports: Connor Bedard player page
- CBS Sports: Bedard two-point effort Saturday
- Wikipedia: 2026-27 Chicago Blackhawks season
- Daily Faceoff: NHL division standings
- TickPick: Blackhawks at Panthers, Nov. 4 start time