The Chicago Blackhawks came into San Jose on Monday with a massive opportunity to damage the Sharks’ chances of sneaking into the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
While the Blackhawks outshot their opponent for the second straight game, something they haven’t done since early January, they couldn’t earn a second consecutive victory, falling 3-2 to San Jose at the SAP Center. They officially finish the 2025-26 regular season with a 15-20-6 record away from home. Be on the lookout for a column coming later today/early tomorrow on the Hawks’ road improvements compared to the last few years.
For now, check out the recap from the 3-2 loss to the Sharks, plus a fresh round of Hawks Hits, down below in the links.
Around the league, Tom Fitzergerald is the latest to receive a late-season let-go, the Wild signed a first-round pick to his ELC, while Nikita Kucherov has tied Connor McDavid in the Art Ross race.
All that & more in the Daily!
Chicago Blackhawks Recap, News & Rumors
Chicago Hockey Now: The Blackhawks couldn’t play spoiler in San Jose, losing 3-2 to Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks on Monday. With the season series now tied 1-1, an epic finale awaits in just nine days at the United Center.
More CHN: Even though the Blackhawks suffered their eighth loss in the last 10 games, there were plenty of positives to take away from Monday’s loss on the West Coast. Frank Nazar recorded another multi-point game, Connor Bedard reached a new career milestone, and the five-forward top power-play unit looked lethal. Here are the Hawks Hits from the final road game of the season.
In OHL news, the second-round playoff schedule has been released for all three Blackhawks’ prospects and their respective clubs.
First, Marek Vanacker, Parker Holmes, and the Brantford Bulldogs take on the North Bay Battalion, with Game 1 of the series starting on Wednesday at the Civic Center.
Coming up next: Round 2 against the North Bay Battalion
Tickets on sale Tuesday April 7th at 10:00am on Ticketmaster and Account Manager. pic.twitter.com/lKeHPyzCin
— Brantford Bulldogs (@BulldogsOHL) April 5, 2026
The Kitchener Rangers and Jack Pridham kick off their second-round series against the Soo Greyhounds on Friday. AJ Spellacy and the Windsor Spitfires also play Game 1 against the Flint Firebirds on Friday.
SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED! 🚨 Get ready for the intensity of Round 2 of the OHL Playoffs as the Windsor Spitfires clash with the Flint Firebirds in what promises to be an electrifying, hard-hitting series. Don’t miss a second of the action! Visit https://t.co/XQgMocwuRu for tickets and… pic.twitter.com/qJayiMLuD4
— xy – Windsor Spitfires (@SpitsHockey) April 3, 2026
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
The Athletic: With five games to go, the Florida Panthers currently have the sixth-fewest points in the NHL, meaning the Blackhawks will very likely not be receiving their 2026 first-round pick. Panthers GM Bill Zito discussed a lost season for the two-time defending champs, and how they bounce back in 2026-27.
New Jersey Hockey Now: Speaking of failed seasons, the New Jersey Devils fired GM Tom Fitzgerald on Tuesday with five games to go in a disastrous 2025-26 campaign. No interim GM has yet been named in the meantime.
San Jose Hockey Now: From the other side of the coin, here are the takeaways from the San Jose Sharks‘ 3-2 win over the Blackhawks, as they keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race.
NHL.com: The Sharks weren’t the only postseason chasers to earn a clutch two points on Monday, as the Los Angeles Kings took down the Nashville Predators 3-2 in a shootout. With the win, the Kings jumped the Predators for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. LA has one more point than Nashville and two more than San Jose.
Sportsnet: The Winnipeg Jets also joined the Sharks and Kings in helping out their postseason hopes, besting the Seattle Kraken 6-2. Kyle Connor scored twice, while Jonathan Toews netted his 10th goal of the season and added an assist. Mark Scheifele racked up three assists. Winnipeg is now three points back of the Kings with five games remaining.
ESPN: While the Tampa Bay Lightning lost 4-2 to the Buffalo Sabres, tying the two teams at the top of the Atlantic Division, Nikita Kucherov achieved another major milestone on Monday. Kucherov scored his 400th career NHL goal, while also tying Connor McDavid in the Art Ross race. Both players have 126 points with five games left on their respective schedules.
Detroit Hockey Now: Speaking of milestones, Alex DeBrincat became the first U.S.-born player in Detroit Red Wings franchise history to reach 80 points in a single season recently. DeBrincat is also on the verge of a few more milestones before the regular season wraps up.
Star Tribune: The Minnesota Wild inked 2023 first-round pick Charlie Stramel to a three-year, entry-level contract on Monday. Stramel, 21, tallied 44 points (19G, 25A) in 37 games during his senior season in 2025-26 with Michigan State University. He began his college career at Wisconsin before transferring to MSU for his final two years of NCAA action.
Florida Hockey Now: With multiple NHL clubs searching for a new general manager, the Florida Panthers‘ front office could take a hit. Two Panthers’ front-office members are reportedly in the running for the Nashville Predators’ available gig.
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