The Chicago Blackhawks suffered a 4-1 defeat to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night at the United Center, extending their early season struggles. The loss dropped Chicago to 3-7-0 on the season and 2-3-0 during their ongoing seven-game homestand, which includes upcoming games against the Florida Panthers and Los Angeles Kings.
The game featured an Original Six rivalry atmosphere, with a near-even mix of team colors in the stands and chants of “Olé, Olé, Olé” from the Canadiens’ supporters. Chicago opened the scoring early in the first period when captain Patrick Kane fired a shot past Montreal goaltender Jacob Fowler at 4:23. The Blackhawks appeared to control much of the period, but Montreal responded swiftly, tying the game thanks to a chance resulting from a turnover by defenseman Ryan Greene.
Montreal then took command, scoring three unanswered goals. Jake Evans netted two goals, and Kaiden Guhle added a short-handed 2-on-1 breakaway tally in the second period. Despite the Hawks having three power-play opportunities in the middle frame, they failed to capitalize. Montreal's goaltender Spencer Knight made several crucial saves, frustrating Chicago’s efforts.
The Canadiens maintained control in the third period, limiting Chicago to their first shot on goal only after nearly nine minutes had elapsed. Mike Matheson sealed the victory with an empty-net goal late in the period.
Blackhawks center Connor Bedard acknowledged the team’s early competitiveness but said lapses in key moments hampered their chances. “In the first two periods, I thought we were the better team,” Bedard said. “It’s crushing whenever you lose, for sure.” Defenseman Ian Cole, who reached the milestone of 1,000 NHL games in the contest, noted the team’s pattern of strong starts followed by diminishing performance. “We start the game well, come out looking good... but ultimately they take it to us,” Cole said.
Head coach Jeff Blashill pointed to mistakes that led directly to Montreal goals and emphasized the need for better puck management. “We shot ourselves on the first goal against, shot ourselves in the foot on the short-handed goal against,” Blashill commented. He also expressed optimism for improvement once the roster is healthier, noting the team has yet to play at full strength this season.
The Blackhawks missed defenseman Bowen Byram and left wing Andrew Mangiapane in the lineup, and faced a Canadiens squad without captain Nick Suzuki, who was sidelined with an upper-body injury for the first time in 546 games, along with right wing Ivan Demidov.
Chicago’s start this season contrasts sharply with their 5-3-2 record through 10 games last year. Blashill stressed the importance of moving past frustration and focusing on solutions. “Being frustrated is honestly a little bit like feeling sorry for yourself. That doesn’t do anyone any good,” he said. “Let’s find a way to move past it and look for solutions.”
The Blackhawks will look to rebound in their next home game as they continue to seek consistency on both ends of the ice.