The Chicago Blackhawks have officially completed their road schedule for 2025-26. It ended with a loss to the San Jose Sharks.
The Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks faced off for the second of three meetings this season on Monday. The Blackhawks won the first back on February 2nd at the United Center, and the San Jose Sharks returned the favor with a 3-2 victory on Monday night at SAP Center.
With the win, the San Jose Sharks keep pace in the Western Conference postseason picture. Earning the second Wild Card spot is still very much in play for them, but they must keep collecting points.
The Blackhawks had a 1-0 lead in this game thanks to a goal scored by Ryan Donato. He buried a Frank Nazar rebound after Connor Bedard did some dancing to set up the shot.
With an assist on Donato's goal, Bedard collected his 200th career NHL point in his 215th career NHL game. The ironic stat is that Patrick Kane reached his 200th career point in the same number of games.
San Jose scored three unanswered goals from there to take a 3-1 lead late into the game. The Chicago power play netted one in the third period, thanks to Frank Nazar, but they fell just short of tying it with Spencer Knight on the bench.
It wasn't for a lack of chances, as multiple Blackhawks players had looks at San Jose's goal with the final seconds running off the clock.
This was one of those games that the Blackhawks lost, but it came with some positives to look at from their game. For one, their power play unit was exceptional.
They technically went 1/3, but Donato's goal was right as the penalty to San Jose was expiring. For all intents and purposes, it was a power play goal. The goal by Nazar, of course, was a goal that counted as a man-advantage tally.
Whether it was Connor Bedard using his legs, Frank Nazar using his crafty abilities, or Anton Frondell unleashing his incredible one-time shot, they looked great moving the puck. This five-forward top unit has been dangerous in recent games.
This performance against the Sharks was the best the Blackhawks have had in a long time. If they move the puck and shoot the way they did on this night all next season, they will have a top-ten power play.
Whether it's the Connor Bedard vs Macklin Celebrini story, Anton Frondell vs Michael Misa, or simply two up-and-coming teams battling hard, this is a developing rivalry that should provide incredible NHL entertainment for the next decade or more.
With this loss away from home, the Blackhawks will finish their road schedule with a 15-20-6 record.
Watch Every Chicago Goal
What’s Next For The Blackhawks?
The Chicago Blackhawks will be back in action on Thursday night when they return to home ice for the final four games of the season. The first of these four will come against the Carolina Hurricanes, who are trying to lock up the top spot in the Eastern Conference postseason picture.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.