The Chicago Blackhawks (21-24-9) were blown out by the Pittsburgh Penguins (27-14-11) for the second time in as many matchups this season, falling 6-2 at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday. Pittsburgh outscored Chicago 13-5 in the two-game season series.
It was another auspicious start for the Blackhawks, as they scored first once again and got the better of the Penguins in the opening period, leading 11-6 in scoring chances. But the game quickly got out of hand with a despicable defensive effort in the second stanza, where Pittsburgh smelled blood in the water and rattled off four unanswered goals.
Backup goaltender Arvid Soderblom, who was making his 16th start of the year, was completely hung out to dry by his teammates. The Blackhawks’ defensive structure broke down shift after shift in the period, but particularly when Wyatt Kaiser and Artyom Levshunov were on the ice. Both Kaiser and Levshunov were out there for all four Penguins goals. All together, Pittsburgh dominated play in the second, with a 25-6 advantage in shots on goal and a 25-7 lead in scoring chances. Chicago was fortunate the score wasn’t worse than 5-1 going into the intermission. They played like a high school JV team.
Lopsided losses have been a rare occurrence for the Blackhawks so far in the New Year, but they’ve now been defeated by four goals in two of their last three games. Perhaps the hectic pre-Olympic schedule is starting to catch up with the young group, as Friday’s tilt with the Columbus Blue Jackets will be their 16th appearance in 30 days this month.
Only three games remain until a 22-day pause while NHL players are over in Milan, and the Blackhawks seem to need it right now. After starting January with a 5-1-0 record, they are just 2-5-2 in their last nine outings and have now dropped four consecutive games.
Here are the highlights from a sloppy 6-2 loss to the Penguins to conclude the quick two-game road trip, dropping their record to 21-24-9 on the season.
FIRST PERIOD
Connor Murphy kicked off the scoring at 9:32 of the first period, giving the Blackhawks the opening goal in seven of their last eight games. Frank Nazar forced a turnover in the defensive zone and then used his speed to counter in transition. Nazar shipped a feed to Ryan Greene on the left flank, and he found Murphy trailing in the slot for his third goal of the season. All three of Murphy’s goals have come in 12 games since Jan. 7. Nazar also recorded his first point since returning from injury.
Frank Nazar➡️Ryan Greene➡️Connor Murphy🚨
Nazar forces a turnover in the defensive zone, and then Greene finds Murphy trailing for his 3rd goal of the season! It’s Nazar’s first point since returning from injury. #Blackhawkspic.twitter.com/vy1pWMg983
— Talkin’ Hawkey (@TalkinHawkey) January 30, 2026
Chicago’s lead didn’t last very long, however, as Connor Dewar tied the game 1-1 less than two minutes later. A missed call from the officials certainly played a part in the goal, as Alex Vlasic was blatantly tripped by Blake Lizotte in the corner, leading to a turnover. Dewar gained possession right out in front and then snuck a shot past Soderblom at 11:24. How did that not get called?
The score remained tied 1-1 going into the first intermission, but the Blackhawks received the more dangerous chances. They led 9-8 in shots on goal and 1.91-0.51 in expected goals.
SECOND PERIOD
The second period hasn’t given the Blackhawks fits in a while, but it sure did on Thursday. Pittsburgh’s pressure started right from the jump, and the visitors had no response. The Penguins tallied four unanswered goals, quickly turning this game into a blowout.
After Levshunov failed to clear the puck out of the defensive zone, Anthony Mantha set up rookie Ben Kindel to put the Penguins ahead 2-1 at 5:54. Soderblom had made a few quality stops in the moments prior, but he could only hold off the Pens’ surge for so long.
After Parker Wotherspoon drilled Tyler Bertuzzi at Pittsburgh’s blue line, Evgeni Malkin scooped up the loose puck and started the counter. Malkin noticed Kaiser closing in and sent a sensational spinning feed to Egor Chinakhov, who got around Levshunov and scored a dazzling goal to extend the Penguins’ lead to 3-1 at 15:30.
The wheels started to come off for Chicago in the latter stages of the stanza. Kaiser blew a tire near the Penguins’ blue line, and Levshunov failed to recognize that his partner had taken a spill. Teuvo Teravainen also provided a lackluster backcheck, leading to a breakaway chance for Mantha. He pulled the puck to his backhand and beat Soderblom five-hole to extend the lead to 4-1 at 16:01. Two goals in 31 seconds for the Penguins.
But wait, there’s more! The floodgates were wide open for the Penguins, and former Blackhawks draft pick Ryan Shea joined the scoring frenzy with a one-timer from the right point at 19:30. Once again, Kaiser and Levshunov were out there for the goal. Both defensemen were minus-four in the period.
The stats were largely lopsided in Pittsburgh’s favor after a dominant period. They led 44-12 in shot attempts, 25-6 in shots on goal, and 25-7 in scoring chances in the second period alone. The Blackhawks played themselves out of the game with horrendous defense.
THIRD PERIOD
Pittsburgh scored a sixth unanswered goal at 13:59, as Dewar struck for a second time off a scramble in front of Soderblom. Guess who was on the ice again? Yep, Kaiser and Levshunov. That sent them to dash-five on the night. Yikes.
While it didn’t impact the result, Connor Bedard scored a notable goal with under six minutes to play in the third period. It’s the first tally for Bedard against an actual goaltender since returning from his shoulder injury. He’s had plenty of chances recently, and he finally got one to go in. His only other goal was an empty-netter back on Jan. 19.
The final horn sounded at PPG Paints Arena, sending the Blackhawks to a fourth consecutive loss. They won’t have much time to dwell on it, as they return to action against the Blue Jackets on Friday at the United Center. Maybe that’s for the best.
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