With a much-needed 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night, the Chicago Blackhawks calmed some of the early-season tension surrounding the team after a disastrous 0-3-0 opening road trip.
With a full house on hand at the United Center for the home opener, and perhaps more significantly, Patrick Kane's first game back in Chicago, it was paramount for the Blackhawks to come away with two points for the first time this year, and they did precisely that with their best 60-minute performance of the season.
"Huge win… I thought it was a complete team win tonight," Kane said postgame, while being hounded by countless reporters in the locker room. "Everyone was chipping in one way or another."
While Kane didn't find the stat sheet in his first home appearance with the Blackhawks since Feb. 21, 2023, eight players on the roster recorded one point to pick up the slack. Anton Frondell and Frank Nazar each recorded one goal and one assist, while Sam Rinzel and Cole Smith also found the back of the net.
For all four players, it was their first goal of the 2026-27 regular season. Timely goal-scoring and depth impacts eluded the Blackhawks in their first three games, but not on Tuesday.
It also helped that the Blackhawks had their best defensive showing as a team against the Blues, particularly, in the first two periods. St. Louis only registered 11 shots on goal and three high-danger scoring chances at 5v5 through 40 minutes.
While the Blues had two breakaway chances, the Blackhawks still did a much better job of allowing fewer odd-man rushes overall. The transition defense held up much stronger than in the first three games, thanks to improved decision-making with and without the puck from the entire roster, for the most part.
The Blackhawks also seemed much more engaged physically and did a better job of consistently playing with active sticks. From top to bottom, it felt like the entire roster finally grasped the concept of how to play together, as one fully-functioning unit.
"There were large parts of the game tonight [where] our process was the best it's been," Blashill said. "Especially in the sense of being on top of people. Our D gaps, ending plays early. Our forward reloads. That's much more how we want to play."
In front of their home fans for the first time since last April, it was also crucial for the Blackhawks to give the packed stands reasons to get loud early and often. It helped that the organization put together a mesmorizing video montage for Kane's return to the United Center, which got everyone on their feet.
Kane waltzed onto the ice like a rockstar during his introduction.
Absolutely ELECTRIC intro for Patrick Kane in his return to the United Center. Straight goosebumps. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/5wQpQb9SlK
— Jack Bushman (@JackBushman2) October 7, 2026
Even Kane himself was blown away by the video tribute and the reaction from the crowd when he was introduced.
"Coming out for warmups, hearing the cheer, and getting ready to go out for the introduction was definitely emotional," Kane said. "It's surreal, right? Didn't know if [I'd] get a chance to do that again. It's pretty special."
Blashill also reflected on the moment after the game, saying how meaningful it is for the current young foundation to grasp what it's like to be beloved in Chicago.
"It was a real cool thing to be a part of," head coach Jeff Blashill said. "What he and his teammates were able to accomplish during his first stint in Chicago, and the love the fans show him, is such a special and cool thing… I think for our guys to soak that in, and [understand] what winning does in this city… it's such a great sports town. When you win here, it's a special town to be a part of. That was an example of it with Kaner."
Had the Blackhawks been defeated by the Blues on Tuesday and lost their fourth consecutive game to start the season, the postgame comments and emotions would have been much different. Fortunately, they took care of business and didn't spoil the homecoming for "Showtime", thanks to their best effort thus far.
1. Young Foundation Steps Up
While Kane and the top line were relatively quiet at 5v5, several core members of the Blackhawks young foundation came through with timely production on Tuesday.
The second line of Frondell, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Teuvo Teravainen was the most effective and generated the most consistent offensive-zone pressure against the Blues. Frondell had his second straight multi-point effort, scoring his first goal of the season and adding an assist on Nazar's empty-netter. The 19-year-old now leads the team with four points through four games.
While Frondell's offensive contributions stood out, Blashill made sure to mention his competitive two-way playing after the game.
"Frondell's only 19 years old, [but] he wins tons of stick battles out there. He [plays] heavy on the puck. Defends well, creates offense. He and Bert, whoever we put with them, generally can be a really good line."
Frondell also won 9 of 15 faceoffs, with most of those draws coming against Blues' top-line center Robert Thomas. Against St. Louis' captain, Frondell hung tough and went 5-for-10.
Spencer Knight was another difference-maker in Tuesday's win, stopping 26 of 28 shots faced. Knight wasn't forced to stop as much rubber as he's used to, which was surely a welcomed change of pace. But when tested, he came up clutch and made several key saves in the second and third periods to maintain a one-goal lead.
Knight has looked sharp in each of his first three starts, and it was nice to see his teammates pick up their play and provide better defesive support in front of him. He was named the No. 1 star of the game and delivered an excellent post-game interview with Darren Pang.
"Coming back here is always amazing, especially with these fans"
Darren Pang caught up with goaltender Spencer Knight after the win👏 pic.twitter.com/2KsKDB1Dx2— Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) October 7, 2026
2. Top Pairing Success
With Bowen Byram returning from his brief absence, he had a new defensive partner on the Blackhawks top pairing against the Blues. Artyom Levshunov joined Byram for the first time this season, and the change allowed the new No. 1 defenseman to play his natural left-hand side. In his first two games, he played the right side with Alex Vlasic as his partner.
Individually, Byram had his best game of the year, although he again failed to produce his first point with the Hawks. Regardless, he used his skating and elusiveness more effectively and tallied two shots on goal. He was on the ice for one goal for and none against in 21:23. That's less ice time than he received in his first two outings, which perhaps helped take some weight off his shoulders.
Levshunov was the real story of the night from the top pairing, with one of his better career performances since stepping into the NHL. The 20-year-old produced a jaw-dropping highlight in the second period, showcasing his remarkable skating and lofty stickhandling for a player of size. He impressively maneuvered through multiple Blues' defenders to set up Frondell for a goal, giving the Blackhawks their first lead of the night.
Teuvo Teravainen➡️Artyom Levshunov➡️Anton Frondell🚨
Nastyyyyy sequence from Levshunov to set up Frondell for his 1st goal of the season! #Blackhawks lead 2-1. pic.twitter.com/CVYOHnNFMU— Talkin' Hawkey (@TalkinHawkey) October 7, 2026
"He has that ability. He's so powerful, he's so strong on the puck, he's such a good skater," Kane said about Levshunov's assist after the game. "He can escape and get away from guys. And then to see [Frondell] at the back door, it's a great play on his backhand."
Defensively, Levshunov also looked more composed than usual and made multiple heads-up reads to shut down plays in his own end. He stayed within the team structure and trusted his instincts, which is exactly how Blashill wants him to operate.
"I thought Arty played really good. He's an elite athlete in a world of elite athletes," Blashill said. "He stands out with his strength and his ability to separate because of his skating… I want him to play within our system by using his instincts, and I thought he did a good job of that tonight."
Levshunov's second full season with the Blackhawks is off to a strong start, which is an encouraging sign for both him and the organization. Still only 20 years old, he's started to more consistently flash the top-pairing upside that had him selected second overall in the 2024 NHL Draft.
3. Teravainen Injury Update
Teravainen played well with Bertuzzi and Frondell for the second straight game, but unfortunately, his night was cut short due to injury. The Finnish winger appeared to get banged up in the second period and briefly tried to play through it before ultimately getting ruled out.
Blashill didn't provide much context regarding what forced Teravainen to exit the game, in which he tallied an assist and had a plus-one rating in 9:31 of ice time in two periods. However, he did already rule Teravainen out for Thursday's game against the New York Islanders, the Blackhawks final road game until Oct. 29.
"He will not travel with us tomorrow. I'll know more in the next couple of days."
With Teravainen on the shelf for at least one game, the Blackhawks recalled Dominic Toninato from the Rockford IceHogs on Wednesday morning, giving them 12 healthy forwards for Thursday. Andrew Mangiapane was also placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, retroactive to Sept. 29.
Blashill will presumably provide a more informative update on Teravainen after Wednesday's practice.
#Blackhawks have recalled Dominic Toninato from Rockford & placed Andrew Mangiapane (lower body) on injured reserve.
That gives them 12 healthy forwards for Thursday's game in Long Island. pic.twitter.com/Uj6jj8QbH9— Talkin' Hawkey (@TalkinHawkey) October 7, 2026
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The post Hawks Hits: Blackhawks Young Foundation Steps Up, New Top Pairing Clicks appeared first on Chicago Hockey Now .
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