Facing off against two of the top teams in the NHL in consecutive nights, the Chicago Blackhawks came out of the back-to-back against the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning with three of a possible four points.
After upsetting the Hurricanes 4-3 in a shootout on Thursday in Raleigh, the Blackhawks returned home to the United Center on Friday for a matchup with the red-hot Lightning, who had earned a point in 14 consecutive games. Much like Carolina, Tampa Bay got off to a fast start and was in full control during the early going, but Chicago managed to keep the game close and scrap out a point.
Former Blackhawks sixth-round pick Dominic James, who elected not to sign his entry-level contract in the summer to become a free agent, lifted the Lightning to a 2-1 win by scoring in the sixth round of the shootout. It wasn’t the finish to Friday’s contest that the Hawks were looking for, but they should be thrilled that their point streak was extended to three games. After all, they had just six shots on goal through two periods and only 18 total on the night. Tampa Bay led 72-40 in shot attempts, 42-22 in scoring chances, and 20-11 in high-danger chances in all situations.
Not only do the Blackhawks have a chaotic schedule leading up to the Olympic break, with eight games in 13 days, but most of those matchups come against top-tier opponents. Next up on the schedule is the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers on Sunday, and then a quick two-game road trip begins on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild, who are tied for the third-most points in the league.
Life isn’t going to get any easier for Chicago in the coming days, but their results against the Hurricanes and Lightning should give them some confidence for the final six tilts before NHL players head over to Milan.
Let’s get into some notable takeaways from Friday’s shootout loss.
Hawks Hits
1. Sensational Soderblom — It’s been another year filled with struggles for backup goaltender Arvid Soderblom. Coming into Friday’s game, the 26-year-old had a shoddy 3.97 goals-against average and just a .868 save percentage in 15 appearances in 2025-26. Because of his inconsistencies, there have been rumblings of Drew Commesso possibly getting a look as the Blackhawks’ No. 2 goaltender down the finishing stretch.
The second half will be very crucial for Soderblom’s future, and his performance against Tampa on Friday was one he needed to get back on track. Soderblom had posted a save percentage above .900 in only one of his previous nine starts.
With the Lightning surging in the opening 40 minutes, Soderblom kept the Blackhawks in the game with one of his best efforts of the season. He stopped 20 of the 21 shots fired on target in the first two periods and was tracking the puck remarkably well through traffic. Tampa Bay was credited with 2.73 expected goals for but only had bested Soderblom once going into the second intermission.
It’s unfortunate that the Blackhawks couldn’t come up with a game-winning goal in the third period, overtime, or in the shootout, because Soderblom deserved to come out of the United Center with a victory in his pocket for how well he played. He finished with 30 saves (.968 Sv%) and had 2.99 goals saved above expected.
2. Best For Last — Much like Thursday’s game in Carolina, the Blackhawks were severely outplayed through two periods against Tampa Bay on Friday night, only to come with an impressive push in the latter stages. After getting dominated in puck possession, scoring chances, and shot attempts in the first 40 minutes, Chicago had the more dangerous opportunities to put the game away in the final frame and overtime.
In 25 minutes combined between the third period and overtime, the Blackhawks led 12-10 in shots on goal, 14-13 in scoring chances, and 6-5 in high-danger chances. It felt like the biggest adjustment made was using active sticks to force turnovers and then creating offensively in transition. Tampa Bay’s defense was stingy all night long, so the Hawks had to make plays defensively to generate anything on the other end of the ice.
With another heavy-pressure team in the Panthers coming to town on Sunday, hopefully the adjustments made by Chicago in the third period against Carolina and Tampa can get them off to a faster start when they return to action next.
3. Power Play Problems — The Blackhawks received another squeaky-clean showing from their penalty kill, but the power play wasn’t at it’s best once again on Friday.
In their previous five games leading up to the tilt with Tampa, Chicago’s man advantage was 0 for their last 11 and had dropped down to 12th in the NHL. Things didn’t go any better against a stout Bolts’ PK, which ranks third in the league, as their three opportunities went unconverted. Make it 0-for-14 over their last six outings.
What’s so disappointing about another lackluster display from the power play is that even one goal of production would have made a key impact in a low-scoring affair. Especially with the Blackhawks getting such few opportunities at even strength.
Another let down is that each of their three powerplays came in the first period, when they had the chance to gain some momentum and/or build on their early lead. That didn’t happen, and it’s something the Blackhawks will surely look back at and be kicking themselves over.
4. Connor Kept Quiet — Friday was an uncharactisterically quiet night from Connor Bedard, who finished without a single shot on goal for only the second time in 38 games this season. He also recorded only one shot attempt and did not receive an individual scoring chance in his 21:36 of ice time.
Head coach Jeff Blashill tinkered with the forward lines for the first time in a while, and Bedard opened the game on the top line with Ilya Mikheyev and Tyler Bertuzzi. Much like the rest of the team, that trio didn’t have much going through two periods, so Blashill reunited Bedard with Andre Burakovsky and Ryan Greene for the finishing stretch.
To their credit, Tampa Bay did a spectacular job of limiting time and space for Bedard when he had the puck. However, there were some chances for him to get shots on target, but he bypassed them to try and setup his teammates. As the most threatening shooter on the roster, there were a few occasions where Bedard needed to call his own number, rather than electing to pass.
In seven games now since returning from injury, Bedard’s only goal was an empty netter on Monday to cap off a win against Jonathan Toews and the Winnipeg Jets. He’s still getting settled it, but he admittedly hasn’t provided the same impact as before the injury. Bedard has gone without a point in four of his seven appearances in 2026.
5. Moore Offense, No Problems — The only goal scored by the Blackhawks on Friday came from an all-rookie connection. Ryan Greene capped off a quick play in transition for his seventh goal of the season, giving the Hawks the opening tally for a fifth consecutive game.
Creating the sequence was Thursday’s shootout hero Oliver Moore, who first showed off his high hockey IQ by allowing the puck to enter the offensive zone without him touching it. Had he gained possession early, captain Nick Foligno wouldn’t have exited the offensive zone in time, and the play would have been whistled dead for offsides.
Moore’s patience allowed the play to continue, and he then shipped the puck in the area of Greene and Nick Lardis near the slot. Lardis sucked the defender towards him, which allowed Greene to get all alone with Andrei Vasilveskiy.
With the secondary assist, Moore now has points in back-to-back games and seven (2G, 5A) in 13 games since getting moved to center. In his first 26 games this year while playing the wing, the former first-round pick had only nine points. The transition to being down the middle has certainly helped find his groove offensively.
For more Blackhawks news, visit Chicago Hockey Now and like our Facebook Page.
Follow us on X: