The Chicago Blackhawks closed out the season with a win over the San Jose Sharks at the United Center.
CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks hosted their season finale at the United Center by welcoming the San Jose Sharks. Neither team is going to the playoffs, but there is always going to be hype around a Connor Bedard vs Macklin Celebrini matchup.
Before the game began, the Blackhawks announced an extension for General Manager Kyle Davidson. Danny Wirtz made it known while on CHSN's Blackhawks pregame show.
The game had a rough start for the Blackhawks. They were outshot 7-3, hardly had the puck, and didn't do much when they did. It took them over half the period to even get one shot on goal.
They were fortunate to only be down 1-0. At 5:17 of the second period, Michael Misa scored a power play goal to make it 2-0 Sharks. From there, however, the Blackhawks started to play much better. In fact, they played better from that point on than they did at any point in the prior two weeks.
With just 30 seconds remaining in the second period, Sam Rinzel put his team within one. His seeing-eye shot found its way through Yaroslav Askarov, and the Blackhawks cut their deficit in half going into the second intermission.
In the third period, the Blackhawks scored four straight goals courtesy of Louis Crevier (twice), Ryan Greene, and Nick Lardis. That 5-2 score held as the final.
The Blackhawks end their 2025-26 season with a record of 29-39-14 for 72 points, which is an 11-point improvement from a year ago.
Louis Crevier deserves the extra individual credit on this night. Not only did he have the two goals, but his defensive work against some elite players was noticeable. On the penalty kill, he was blocking shots, getting in the way of passes, and using his big frame to his advantage.
Macklin Celebrini didn't have a point. The Sharks only have two wins when he doesn't find the scoresheet all year, so shutting him down played a key role in the win. Louis Crevier's pair with Alex Vlasic played flawlessly against his line.
It took some time for the Blackhawks to get going in this game, but they dug deep and pulled one out in front of their home fans one last time.
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Whatâs Next For The Blackhawks?
The Chicago Blackhawksâ season is now over. Ahead for them is another off-season of building for the future. The Blackhawks have the second best odds at winning the lottery, which will take place on May 5th, 2026.
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