The Chicago Blackhawks lost their fourth straight game, their third without young superstar Connor Bedard, against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday evening (December 18). It was the second and final game of the season between these two teams, the first of which was a 3-2 victory for the Canadiens on October 11. It was another tough loss for Chicago, but they were outshot the entire game and outscored by the Habs. They really didn’t feel like winning this one.
Related – Bolduc’s pair lifts Canadiens over Bedard-Less Blackhawks
Let’s get to the takeaways for the Blackhawks.
Nazar breaks 21-game drought
It started positively with a goal from Frank Nazar to get the scoring started. Previously, he had played 21 games since scoring; his last tally was on October 28 against the Ottawa Senators. The 21 year old had definitely been bitten by a snake and he felt the heat. “Nobody wants to score more than me right now,” Nazar said on December 4 after a game against the Los Angeles Kings. “So chances are you’re just going to have to keep going and keep trying to execute.”
That’s exactly what Nazar did. He kept working and grinding and finally got that monkey off his back.
GOAL: Grzelcyk to Nazar who is FINALLY on the board! pic.twitter.com/R4QpzwQH42
— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) December 19, 2025
Nazar’s drought was certainly not the result of a lack of trying. Heading into this match, he was tied for second on the team (along with Tyler Bertuzzi) with 64 shots on goal. He also created and generated plenty of scoring opportunities for himself and others. Head coach Jeff Blashill complimented Nazar’s play after the Blackhawks’ 3–0 victory over the New York Rangers on December 10.
To be honest, I thought Nazar was as good as any he’s probably played. I thought he was excellent tonight, to be honest. I look at the process. I look at things like being over the puck, and being strong on the puck, and getting opportunities to make plays, and using his speed. Yes, there have been nights where, maybe St. Louis; in St. Louis he was flashier. But I thought Frank, given the things it takes to become a really big difference maker, was excellent tonight. So yeah, is it frustrating not to score? Yes. Our job as a coaching staff is to keep him focused on the process because points come and go. I’ve seen it all the time and he gets his points when he plays like that on a consistent basis.
Nazar finished the night with a goal, two shots on goal and a team-leading nine shot attempts. He also contributed two hits and one blocked shot, although his one giveaway and only 4 of 11 wins in the faceoff circle left a little more to be desired.
It’s good to see Nazar finally getting rewarded for his efforts. But after the match he was certainly not happy with the result. “I mean, we lost and that sucks.”
Hopefully there will be more goals for Nazar. For better or worse, he is now primarily tasked with replacing Bedard while he is out of the lineup (shoulder injury) until at least the first of the new year 2026.
Ridder deserved more from his teammates
Blackhawks’ netminder Spencer Knight had another excellent performance in this match, especially in the second frame. He stopped all 16 of the Canadiens’ shots in the second, to keep the game tied at 1–1 and the Blackhawks in the game. For reference, the Hawks registered just six shots during this period. “Knighter kept us in it as long as he could,” said defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, who earned the first assist on Nazar’s goal. “But in the third we have to be more desperate.”
For the record, the Blackhawks registered just five shots on goal in the third, while the Canadiens recorded 12.
(Charles LeClaire-Imagn images)
Overall, Knight stopped 31 of 34 shots for a .912 save percentage. The loss certainly cannot be placed on Knight’s shoulders. He played a strong game and deserved more for his efforts.
Blackhawks need more shooting mentality
Despite Nazar breaking his goal drought and Knight having a solid game, the Hawks just couldn’t stop the Habs’ chances and couldn’t score enough goals themselves. It’s the fine line they’re walking at the moment by trying to be better defensively while also performing offensively. That night, the Blackhawks registered just 15 shots to the Canadiens’ 35 shots. Said Blashill after the game:
Well, we were passing up shots in scoring areas. So that would be step one. You are not allowed to miss a shot in a scoring area. We literally ran it from a scoring area to a non-scoring area. It’s nonsensical. So we’re going to have to simplify that bit. We need to make sure we have a much bigger shooting mentality and create the chaos of the shots.
Hmm. I’m not sure I want to be a fly on the wall in that video session. It’s safe to say that with the loss of Bedard, the Blackhawks face their first major setback of the season. Bedard was, after all responsible for more than 48% of their score before suffering his shoulder injury on December 12. It must be a community effort to make that right, but it certainly won’t be easy.
Related – Blackhawks News & Rumors: Bedard, Brossoit, Del Mastro, Lardis & more
By the way, Coach Blashill admitted that the “kid line” of Nick Lardis, Ryan Greene and Oliver Moore struggled in this game, and that it’s a lot to ask three young guys to play when they’re all so new to the NHL. He indicated there would be line changes on Saturday when the Blackhawks take on the Ottawa Senators in their third road game of this current stretch.
What exactly will these line changes entail? Could the Blackhawks adopt more of a shooting mentality in the future? Can they break their four-game losing streak? We’ll know soon enough.
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