While the Bears couldn’t complete the comeback against the Detroit Lions to close out the NFL regular season, the Blackhawks at least rallied to overcome a late deficit and give Chicago sports fans one win on Sunday.
Tyler Bertuzzi was responsible for all three of the Blackhawks’ goals, including the overtime winner, in a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights at the United Center. It was Bertuzzi’s second hat trick of the season and fifth in his career. Don’t look now, but the Blackhawks are just two points back of a wildcard playoff spot after extending the winning streak to three games.
More in the links for the highlights from Bertuzzi’s hat trick, and a recap of how the Blackhawks finally won the back end of a back-to-back.
Also in Blackhawks news, Anton Frondell and Vaclav Nestrasil helped their countries advance at the 2026 World Junior Championship, setting up an epic Gold Medal matchup between the two first-round picks.
Around the league, Luke Hughes gets booed by the New Jersey faithful, Matthew Tkachuk is closing in on a return for Florida, and the Avalanche suffered injuries to a pair of key players.
All that & more in the Daily!
Chicago Blackhawks Recap, News & Tidbits
Chicago Hockey Now: Tyler Bertuzzi‘s hat trick gets all the shine, and rightfully so. He’s been outstanding this season, as he’s now tied for 10th in the NHL in goals after a hat trick on Sunday. However, the Blackhawks’ defense also played a crucial role in the comeback 3-2 overtime win over the Golden Knights. Vegas was held to only 15 shots, including two combined in the third period and overtime.
In the first semifinal matchup at the 2026 World Junior Championship, 2025 No. 3 overall pick Anton Frondell was excellent to help Sweden advance to the final. Frondell had a primary assist and two shots in 21:15 of ice time. He also recorded the shootout winner in the eighth round to beat Finland 4-3.
In the second semifinal game of the evening, Vaclav Nestrasil, the second first-round pick for Chicago in 2025, also had a primary assist in a big win for Czechia. Nestrasil has seven points in six games for the tournament. For the third consecutive year at the World Juniors, the Czechs have squashed Canada’s chances of winning gold.
The two top prospects for the Blackhawks will face off in the final at 7:30 p.m. CT on Monday. No matter which side wins, it’s another year where a Hawks high-end draft selection comes away from the WJC with some gold.
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
The Athletic: For the Canadians, it’s another disappointing result at the World Juniors. Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler discuss what went wrong in the semifinal loss to Nestrasil and Czechia, plus two draft-eligible impact players for Sweden.
New Jersey Hockey Now: The New Jersey Devils fans let young Luke Hughes hear it after scoring two own goals in a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Hughes has been somewhat underwhelming this season, especially after drawing out contract negotiations into training camp.
Colorado Hockey Now: Not only did the Colorado Avalanche suffer just their third regulation loss of the season to the Florida Panthers, but the recent injury issues continued to get out of hand. After defenseman Devon Toews got hurt on Saturday, captain Gabriel Landeskog exited early following a nasty spill into the post on Sunday. Both Toews and Landeskog are expected to be out for.
Florida Hockey Now: Speaking of Florida, forward Matthew Tkachuk is expected to travel with the Panthers for their upcoming six-game road trip. There’s no set date for his return quite yet, but it could be coming in the next week or two.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Make that five wins in a row for the Pittsburgh Penguins after beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 in overtime. Sidney Crosby scored the game-winner to extend the Pens’ streak.
For more Blackhawks news, visit Chicago Hockey Now and like our Facebook Page.
Follow us on X: