If you were looking for a high-flying offensive clinic at the United Center on Monday night, you probably walked away a bit disappointed. Honestly, the score of the Chicago Blackhawks hockey game—a 4-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers—tells a story of a team that’s still very much in the "learning how to win" phase of a massive rebuild.
Chicago isn't a powerhouse yet. Far from it.
But they aren't the pushover they were two years ago either. This game was a grind. It was a 2-1 nail-biter deep into the third period until the wheels fell off in the final 60 seconds. If you’re a Hawks fan, you’ve seen this movie before. The effort is there, the structure is improving under Jeff Blashill, but the talent gap against a Stanley Cup contender like Edmonton is still a canyon.
Breaking Down the Score of the Chicago Blackhawks Hockey Game
The scoreboard at the final horn read 4-1 Edmonton, but the path to that result was anything but a blowout.
For the first 14 minutes, the Blackhawks actually looked like the better team. They were aggressive. They were physical. But when you're playing against Connor McDavid, you don't even have to make a "mistake" to get burned. You just have to be human.
McDavid picked up two assists, extending his point streak to a staggering 19 games. That's a career-high for him. Think about that for a second. The best player on the planet just set a personal record in the Blackhawks' barn.
The Scoring Timeline
- First Period (14:41): Zach Hyman tipped in an Evan Bouchard shot. 1-0 Oilers.
- Second Period (00:16): Evan Bouchard banked a puck off Spencer Knight’s skates from behind the net. A total fluke. 2-0 Oilers.
- Third Period (14:46): Tyler Bertuzzi finally broke the ice for Chicago. 2-1. The United Center actually had a pulse for about five minutes.
- The Collapse: With the net empty, Bouchard scored at 19:07, and Leon Draisaitl added another just eight seconds later.
Basically, the Blackhawks played 59 minutes of competitive hockey and one minute of "get me out of here."
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Missing the Magic: The Bedard Factor
You can't talk about a Blackhawks game in 2026 without mentioning Connor Bedard. Or, in this case, his absence.
Bedard sat this one out with an illness. It’s a bummer. Without #98 on the ice, the Blackhawks’ power play looks like a different, much slower animal. They went 0-for-2 on the man advantage, and while guys like Oliver Moore and Frank Nazar are showing flashes of brilliance, they don't have that "I'm going to score right now" gravity that Bedard possesses.
Tyler Bertuzzi has been a bright spot, though. His goal was his 24th of the season. He's been the veteran presence this locker room desperately needed—someone who isn't afraid to get his nose dirty in the blue paint.
A Quick Look at the Stats
| Stat | Chicago Blackhawks | Edmonton Oilers |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 1 | 4 |
| Shots on Goal | 30 | 37 |
| Faceoff % | 53.8% | 46.2% |
| Penalty Minutes | 6 | 4 |
The Hawks actually won the faceoff battle. They were disciplined. They just couldn't solve Connor Ingram, who stopped 29 of 30 shots and looked like a wall for most of the night.
Why This Loss Feels Different
Earlier in the season, Chicago went on a four-game winning streak. They beat Vegas. They handled Washington. They even put up seven goals on St. Louis. Those aren't "accidents."
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The defense, led by Artyom Levshunov and Wyatt Kaiser, is starting to look like an actual NHL unit. Levshunov, specifically, is playing nearly 19 minutes a night as a 20-year-old. That’s insane. He’s taking the tough assignments and, for the most part, holding his own.
Spencer Knight was in net for this one, and despite the four goals against, he was solid. You can’t blame a goalie for an empty-netter or a fluke bank shot from behind the goal line. He’s settled into the 1A role quite nicely, and his .896 save percentage on the season is a bit deceptive given the high-quality chances the Hawks still give up.
Looking Ahead: What's Next for the Hawks?
The score of the Chicago Blackhawks hockey game dropped their record to 19-20-7. They are hovering right around .500, which is exactly where most experts expected them to be. They aren't a playoff team yet, but they’ve stopped being a "get-right" game for the rest of the league.
If you're following the team's trajectory, keep an eye on these specific things:
- The Return of Bedard: Expect him back for the Calgary game on Thursday. The offense is night and day when he's taking 20+ shifts.
- Special Teams: The penalty kill has been elite (over 85%), but the power play needs a spark. Look for them to move Artyom Levshunov to the top unit to see if his vision can open things up.
- Trade Deadline Rumors: With 45 points in the standings, the Blackhawks are in no-man's land. Do they sell veterans like Bertuzzi or Foligno for more picks, or do they keep the culture intact for the young kids?
The reality is that losing 4-1 to Edmonton isn't a crisis. It’s a benchmark. You see where the bar is set, and you realize how many more pieces this puzzle still needs.
If you're heading to the United Center for the next home stand, don't just watch the scoreboard. Watch the way the young defensemen gap up. Watch how Nazar uses his speed in transition. The "score" is just a number; the progress is what actually matters in Chicago right now.
To stay on top of the latest roster moves, make sure to check the official NHL injury reports, especially regarding Bedard’s status for the upcoming Calgary match. If you're tracking the standings, Chicago currently sits 6th in the Central Division, still within shouting distance of a Wild Card spot if they can string together another winning streak in late January.