Blackhawks Postgame
Soderblom Shuts Out Mammoth, Blackhawks Finally Get Depth Scoring in 4-0 Win
For the first time since returning from the Olympic break, Connor Bedard failed to score a goal on Sunday afternoon when the Chicago Blackhawks faced the Utah Mammoth. Yet, it was the first time the Blackhawks had won since the 2025-26 NHL regular season resumed earlier this week.
The depth scoring the Blackhawks were desperately missing in their first two games out of the break finally came through on Sunday, as Teuvo Teravainen scored twice, while Nick Foligno and Landon Slaggert each chipped in with one goal from down on the fourth line in a 4-0 win over the Mammoth. It was refreshing to see that this team can still win when Bedard doesn’t end up on the stat sheet.
After being held to only 15 shots on goal in a 3-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, the Blackhawks showed their resiliency by getting off to a fast start in the back half of their back-to-back. Despite playing for the second time in well under 24 hours, they were the fresher team in the first period, leading the Mammoth 13-8 in shots. Teravainen opened the scoring on the power play in the final minute of the period, which proved to be the game-winner and set the tone for the rest of the way.
Foligno and Slaggert’s tallies came just 1:29 apart in the second period, putting the Blackhawks comfortably ahead 3-0 just past the midway point. For Foligno, it was his 250th career NHL goal, which snapped a 10-game goal drought. Slaggert also had not scored for a while, as he broke a 14-game goal drought with his third of the season.
For just the fourth time in their last 15 outings, the Blackhawks scored more than two goals in a single game, although they only needed one to get the win on Sunday. Backup goaltender Arvid Soderblom was perfect for the first time in his NHL career, stopping all 22 shots the Mammoth put on net. In his 94th career start, Soderblom finally notched a shutout. Thanks to his defense, he didn’t need to work very hard to secure it.
Over the final 20 minutes, Utah had only four shots on goal, which allowed Soderblom to cruise to his first big-league shutout. But even in the first two periods, Soderblom wasn’t tested too often, as the Blackhawks had one of their best defensive performances as a team. The Mammoth were credited with only 11 high-danger scoring chances in all situations.
Here are the highlights from the Blackhawks’ 4-0 win over the Mammoth, improving their record to 23-28-9 through 60 games this season.
FIRST PERIOD
After scoring in the Blackhawks’ first two games back from the break, Bedard nearly made it three in a row in the opening seven minutes on Sunday. Bedard and Teravainen pulled off a perfect give-and-go while entering the offensive zone on the power play, giving Bedard a wide-open chance from the slot. He tried lifting the puck into the top corner, but Vejmelka got just enough to deflect the shot high of the net.
The Blackhawks were unsuccessful on their first two power-play chances in the period, but the third time was a charm. Tyler Bertuzzi stripped Mammoth defenseman Mikhail Sergachev as he tried to clear the puck down ice, and Teravainen stuffed home the loose change at 19:05 for his 11th goal of the season. Teravainen and Bertuzzi both extended their point streaks to three games. 1-0, Chicago.
Through 20 minutes, the Blackhawks led 1-0 and held a 13-8 advantage in shots on goal. It was a formidable start, especially considering they just played in Colorado on Saturday night.
SECOND PERIOD
Foligno doubled the Blackhawks’ lead with his 250th career NHL goal at 11:38, and he showed off his quick hands in the process. Foligno made a nifty move after finding a loose puck in front of Utah’s net for his third goal of the season. 2-0, Chicago. It’s Foligno’s first goal since Jan. 15.
Less than two minutes later, the fourth line struck again to extend the lead to 3-0. Slaggert received a tip-pass from Oliver Moore to enter the offensive zone, and his shot from the top of the circles deflected off Vejmelka’s glove and trickled into the net at 13:07. It was Slaggert’s first goal since Jan. 7.
The Blackhawks were in the driver’s seat with 20 minutes remaining, leading 3-0 and holding a 22-18 edge in shots on goal going into the second intermission.
THIRD PERIOD
The third period got off to a dicey start for the Blackhawks, as Louis Crevier committed a penalty at 1:08 to send the Mammoth power play onto the ice for a chance to cut into their deficit.
But off the defensive-zone faceoff, Alex Vlasic gained possession of the puck and raced all the way down to Utah’s end of the ice. After firing a shot on net from a bad angle, Vlasic scooped up his own rebound, circled the net, and found Teravainen striding down the slot. Teravainen let go of a wrist shot that sailed past Vejmelka and into the net at 1:25. 4-0, Chicago. It’s Teravainen’s first multi-goal game of the season.
Soderblom wasn’t leaned on too heavily in the final period, but he did have to make a couple of saves to secure his first shutout. The best chance in the third for Utah came off Logan Cooley’s stick, as he got a look from point-blank to break up the shutout bid. But like he was all game, Soderblom remained in a perfect position to make the save.
The final horn sounded at the Delta Center, sending the Blackhawks to one of their best wins of the season. Their four-game road trip out of the Olympic break wraps up on Tuesday against Jonathan Toews and the division-rival Winnipeg Jets, and it would be terrific to return to Chicago with two consecutive wins under their belt.
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