The chances were there for the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday in Edmonton, but their finishing ability was absent. Despite generating 32 scoring chances in all situations, the Blackhawks produced only 18 shots on goal in a 3-1 loss to the Oilers at Rogers Place.
Oilers’ goaltender Tristan Jarry was making his first start in over one week, and the Blackhawks let him off the hook by simply failing to hit the target throughout the course of the game.
More in the links for the recap of the Blackhawks’ fifth consecutive loss.
Also in Blackhawks news, all three OHL prospects advanced into the second round of the playoffs, while one WHL prospect had his season come to an end.
Around the league, Patrick Kane made more history, Cole Caufield is closing in on 50 goals, while the Wild and Hurricanes clinched postseason spots.
All that & more in the Daily!
Chicago Blackhawks Recap, News & Trade Rumors
Chicago Hockey Now: With a fifth straight loss on Thursday night in Edmonton, the Blackhawks have officially been eliminated from playoff contention. Make that six years in a row without postseason hockey in the Windy City. To make matters worse, Nick Lardis suffered an injury in the final moments of the third period.
More CHN: ICYMI, another one of GM Kyle Davidson’s high-end draft picks has turned pro. Adam Gajan inked a two-year, entry-level contract on Tuesday and will report to the Rockford IceHogs.
In OHL news, 2024 first-round pick Marek Vanacker and the Brantford Bulldogs advanced to the second round of the playoffs after a first-round sweep over the Sudbury Wolves. Vanacker tallied six points (3G, 3A) in four games during the first round. Fellow Blackhawks prospect Parker Holmes did not dress for any of the four games.
Jack Pridham, a 2024 third-round pick, and the Kitchener Rangers also cruised through the first round, earning a sweep over the Saginaw Spirit. Pridham tallied two assists in Game 4 on Thursday and finished the series with five points (all assists) in four games.
Lastly, the Windsor Spitfires and 2024 third-round pick AJ Spellacy dominated the Guelph Storm, outscoring them 21-5 in the four-game series sweep. Spellacy got into a fight and tallied an assist in the series-clinching Game 4 win on Thursday. He recorded four points (1G, 3A) in four games.
In the WHL, 2025 third-round pick Nathan Behm and the Kamloops Blazers were swept by the Kelowna Rockets in the first round, officially ending their season. Behm suffered an injury in Game 2 and did not play in the final two games of the series. He finished without a point in his two postseason appearances.
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
The Athletic: Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov both hit the 40-goal marker as the Minnesota Wild locked up a playoff berth with a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. It was also Quinn Hughes’ first game against his former team since getting traded to Minnesota in December.
Daily Faceoff: Patrick Kane scored a goal and added two assists in the Detroit Red Wings’ clutch 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. With three points, Kane officially passed Brett Hull for the most by an American-born player in NHL history with 1,393.
Detroit Hockey Now: With the win against the Flyers, the Red Wings are now tied with the Ottawa Senators for the second and final Wild Card playoff spot in the Eastern Conferece. Ottawa currently holds the tie breaker with more regulation wins, but the Wings are still battling.
Montreal Hockey Now: With two more tallies on Thursday, Cole Caufield is on the verge of becoming a 50-goal scorer for the first time in his career. Caufield netted his 48th and 49th goals of the season in the Montreal Canadiens‘ 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers.
San Jose Hockey Now: The San Jose Sharks remain in the second Wild Card playoff spot in the Western Conference after a 4-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was just the second win of the season for San Jose when Macklin Celebrini fails to record a point.
Carolina Hockey Now: The Carolina Hurricanes are officially playoff bound after a 5-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. The Hurricanes held the Jackets to only 10 shots on goal in 60 minutes of play.
NHL.com: Anthony Cirelli recorded his second NHL hat trick and first since 2020 to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. With the win, the Bolts reached the 100-point plateau and remain in the top spot in the Atlantic Division over the Buffalo Sabres.
New Jersey Hockey Now: Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each tallied five points as the New Jersey Devils routed the Washington Capitals, winning 7-3 at the Prudential Center.
More NHL.com: It took eight rounds, but the Nashville Predators took down the Los Angeles Kings 5-4 in a shootout on Thursday. The Predators and Kings both have 79 points, which is the same amount as the San Jose Sharks in the second Wild Card spot. San Jose holds the tie breaker over both, while Nashville has the advantage over Los Angeles in the standings.
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