Blackhawks 3, Penguins 7 — Three Stars, Key Takeaways ...Middle East

Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill burned his timeout 8:20 into the first period to tear his team a new… attitude… with the scoreboard already showing the Penguins leading by three. One fluky goal and a couple mediocre scores later and the Hawks coaches were not happy. The Blackhawks got a power play after the timeout, did nothing with it, and the Penguins scored again. Out went Spencer Knight. In came Arvid Söderblom.

The Blackhawks were able to get on the board in the second period, but were within three for only 90 seconds. Another bad too many men penalty opened the door and Pittsburgh scored their fifth quickly on the power play. Justin Brazeau scored on the power play and then finished off a hat trick 57 seconds later. The Blackhawks… cut the lead back to four… 13 seconds later. Baby steps?

Star 1: Tyler Bertuzzi

After a really good game in which he scored twice in Dallas, Bertuzzi came back with a strong game again tonight. He was the most noticeable skater for the Hawks all night. In the first period, Bertuzzi had a 93.45 expected goals for percentage in 8:16 — including an 11-1 shot attempts for total. He scored the Blackhawks’ third goal with with 0.8 seconds left on the clock in regulation — well deserved.

Star 2: Nick Foligno

The Blackhawks desperately needed to score chasing four in the second period. And, after missing 19 games, it was their captain who got them on the board. And the hands? I thought that was the injury! Why look when you don’t have to?!?

GOAL: Nick Foligno scores in his first game back. Nice play in front of the net to put home a rebound pic.twitter.com/Ot2x0RkIUm

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) December 29, 2025

Star 3: Landon Slaggert

Slaggert had another really good night. By the end of the second period, he had skated 9:39 at 5-on-5 during which the Blackhawks had a 10-2 shot attempt advantage and 5-2 shots on net advantage. The Blackhawks had a 72.62 expected goals for percentage, which was third-best among Blackhawks forwards behind… Bertuzzi and Jason Dickinson — his linemates. Slaggert had a team-high five shot attempts, team-leading four individual scoring chances, team-leading three shots on net and was tied for the team lead with two high danger chances by the end of 40 minutes of hockey.

Key Takeaways

Here’s Wyatt Kaiser‘s goal from the second period:

GOAL: Wyatt Kaiser BANKS IT IN off the end wall for his 4th of the season pic.twitter.com/jqYuV2X5xD

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) December 29, 2025 Knight allowed more goals (4) than he made saves (3) in 12:03 of the first period. He was bad. Knight returned for the third period. The first period sucked on the scoreboard, but the stats actually… liked(?) what the Blackhawks were doing at 5-on-5. Chicago had a 17-12 shot attempt advantage, 8-7 scoring chance advantage and 4-2 advantage in high danger chances at even strength in the first period. The Blackhawks won 52.6 percent of faceoffs in the first. But… they trailed 4-0. The line of Dickinson, Slaggert and Bertuzzi was the Blackhawks’ best in the first period. They actually had a 0.0 expected goals against in 3:55 of 5-on-5 time in the opening frame; the Penguins didn’t have a shot attempt while that trio was on the ice. Bertuzzi and Slaggert were the only forwards who weren’t on the ice for a goal against in the first period. The Blackhawks’ fourth line of Foligno, Colton Dach and Sam Lafferty was effective tonight. At the end of the second period, they had been on the ice for 5:28 of 5-on-5 during which they had an expected goals for percentage of 86.10. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the line of André Burakovsky, Ryan Donato and Teuvo Teräväinen were on the ice for three of Pittsburgh’s five even strength goals by the end of the second period. Shots on net were 6-1 in favor of the Penguins with that line on the ice (4:49 thru two periods at 5-on-5). I like that the Blackhawks sent the kid line of Oliver Moore, Ryan Greene and Nick Lardis out a lot more frequently with the score where it was in the third period. Ice time=experience, and they need all they can get. I probably owe Söderblom a star for Saturday night’s performance in Dallas. He had to come in during the first period and was really good early. He tried to keep the Blackhawks in the game as much as he could. Here he is robbing Sidney Crosby 1-on-1.

Söderblom stops Crosby pic.twitter.com/MSBvySfJe8

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) December 29, 2025

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