The United Center didn’t have much to cheer about going into a frigid Tuesday evening. The Chicago Blackhawks received seven goals from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday and lost seven of their last eight games as the new, improved New York Islanders visited the Windy City.
The Isles led the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 on goals from centers Calum Ritchie (2:56) and Bo Horvat (12:08) in the first period. Chants of “Green Bay sucks” filled the stadium again to kill time.
The Hawks quickly regained fans’ attention. Teuvo Teräväinen (15:31) and Nick Lardis (19:57) equalized with goals in the second period to restore energy.
The shots continued to fly in favor of the home team, but the puck was like a magnet as it continued to hit the iron. Nick Foligno’s near-empty net attempt at the end of regulation hit the right post, leading to a shootout.
Potentially lucky to be in this position, the Isles then snatched victory from the Hawks (14-18-7) with a 3-2 win.
The Hawks have lost seven of nine games in overtime and shootouts this season.
Hawks coach Jeff Blashill wasn’t happy with how the game started. He used the term “brain dead” to describe how his team got out after the puck dropped.
“It was as bad a start as we’ve had,” Blashill said. “I thought the way we looked, I didn’t think we were where we needed to be with the mental focus for those first 10 minutes.”
Blashill credited his team’s fight after a poor first period. He said the Hawks would keep pushing, even if the odds were against them.
“It’s a 60-minute game and the teams are so good, we probably got that start and we were able to get back into it,” Blashill said. “I thought we played really well after that… the guys took over and did a good job.”
Teräväinen, Lardis and center Oliver Moore skated together on the third line, with a lineup adjustment hopefully made to add some shots and scoring chances. Initial results showed that this may be an essential combination.
The three kept the pressure on the Islanders defense and forced goaltender David Rittich (17 saves) to stand at attention. The Hawks didn’t get the win, but the line’s positive results could continue down the road.
“It’s fun to play with these guys,” Moore said. “(Lardis) and I have clicked since the beginning of the year (at Rockford), so it was fun to play with them.”
Left winger Lardis added: “It was great, we generated a lot. Even in the first and second I thought we had a lot of good looks. Sometimes we were a little unlucky with a few chances, but I think we generated well.”
Lardis received a loud ovation as he entered the first round of the shootout with his victory in Dallas on Saturday. He called it a special moment.
“It’s awesome, super motivating,” Lardis said. “Sharing that with (Moore) was awesome.”
Horvat was Staten Island’s superhero for New York (22-14-4). He scored the only shootout goal between the two teams.
Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer contributed to Horvat’s first goal, giving him 25 points this season. The top pick in the 2025 draft is the youngest defenseman in NHL history to reach that milestone.
The Hawks, still without their No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft in Connor Bedard, have a new problem regarding center depth. Alternate captain Jason Dickinson left the game in the second period and did not return.
Blashill called him daily and told him he was dealing with “something different” from his previous injury. It’s doubtful Dickinson will play in the Hawks’ home game against the Dallas Stars on New Year’s Day.
“It’s a muscle issue, I think he’ll be fine,” Blashill said. “I just don’t know how long.”
Dickinson spent time early in the season on injured reserve while dealing with a nagging shoulder injury. The 30-year-old scored eight points (four goals, four assists) in 2025-26.
“He’s such a good person, he’s such a good teammate, he’s a really good hockey player (and) when he’s healthy, he means a lot to us,” Blashill said. “It’s a shame that he constantly has to deal with different things.
“I feel for him because he’s a guy you love having around, you love having him on your team and you love having him on the ice.”
It is now the team’s three best centers – Bédard, Frank Nazar and Dickinson – who are injured. Blashill will have to get creative with his lineups if Dickinson is going to miss time.
Moore may have made his case as a front-line center if his name is to be called. He created plenty of scoring chances, which is what Blashill was looking for.
“It was definitely the best game (Moore) played, hands down,” Blashill said. “He seemed like a really confident player, almost different from me.”
Moore added: “I’ve played (center) for most of my life, so it’s something that’s been an easy adjustment. I think it definitely helps free me up a little bit.”
The Hawks will start 2026 off a loss. The team’s resolution for the new year remains the same as at the start of the season: learn.
“We went into the next day and tried to learn from the previous game and move on and that’s the approach we’ll continue to take,” Blashill said.
