Want a little drama on a Friday night? The Blackhawks scratched Taylor Hall (healthy — then traded!!) and Seth Jones (illness?) just as the team was coming out to warm up. The Blackhawks got completely overwhelmed for about 15 minutes but then started to chip away. And then Colton Dach scored his first career NHL goal. And then Frank Nazar scored his first goal of the season (NOT the first of his career, even if they announced that it was in the United Center smh) and the Blackhawks took a 2-1 lead to the room after 20 minutes.
And then Louis Crevier scored a goal early in the second period and it just kinda sorta felt like the vibes were totally shifting to the future being a little closer than we thought. Unfortunately, that future didn’t finish the second period and Tampa stole a goal with eight seconds remaining to cut the lead back to one before the second intermission.
The third period was a throwback to the Luke Richardson days, just with younger, faster players wearing the Blackhawks’ sweaters. The Blackhawks were getting nothing — hell, not even attempting to get anything — offensively, but they were keeping the puck out of the net and hanging on to their one-goal lead desperately. When the Alec Martinez took a penalty late in regulation, the Bolts pulled their goalie and were able to tie the game with 40 seconds left.
And then the Blackhawks took another penalty with three seconds left in regulation…
Star 1: Colton Dach
Score your first career NHL goal, you’re the No. 1 star! (The Blackhawks still need to retire 28, but I’m thrilled for Dach.)
FIRST CAREER NHL GOAL ALERT
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) January 25, 2025
🚨 COLTON DACH
🍎 Ryan Donato, Louis Crevier
pic.twitter.com/APNVT669Di
Star 2: Frank Nazar
Score your first goal of the season (second of your career), you’re the No. 2 star! Nazar added an assist on Crevier’s goal in the second period to give him his first career multi-point game.
THE FUTURE IS NOW FOR THE #Blackhawks
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) January 25, 2025
🚨 Frank Nazar
🍎 Connor Bedard
pic.twitter.com/MCTn0hcnH6
Star 3: Louis Crevier
Crevier picked up the second assist on Dach’s goal and then scored the Blackhawks’ third goal of the night for his first career multi-point game.
#Blackhawks scored AGAIN!
🚨 Louis Crevier
🍎 Frank Nazar, Lukas Reichel
2-point night for Nazar
pic.twitter.com/rNZ8vW30RC— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) January 25, 2025
Key Takeaways
- Arvid Söderblom was fabulous while the offense took the second and third periods off. He stopped 36 of 39 in regulation. The Blackhawks were out-shot 17-1 in the third period.
- Jason Dickinson had a really good night as well.
- There was a legit vibe that there was a full-blown page turning taking place tonight. The Blackhawks traded Taylor Hall and, as the dust was settling and the reports were swirling with the details, the Blackhawks got goals from two of the first pieces of their rebuild in a little more than two minutes. And then they got another goal from a young defenseman.