The Chicago Blackhawks had to take a cup-half-full approach to the first three games of the season. The Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens all escaped with one-goal wins.
After the loss to the Canadiens — who scored with 15.7 seconds left in regulation — fans left the United Center deflated as the game result didn’t match the glory of the pregame centennial celebration. That wouldn’t keep this team down, at least on coach Jeff Blashill’s watch.
“The answer is we have to do it ourselves,” Blashill said before Monday’s home game against the Utah Mammoth. “This is life (and it’s) not always easy. You don’t just lace ’em up and win a hockey game. You have to find a way to dig in and win. We’re responsible for our morale, so we can keep our own morale up.”
The best way to boost morale is to win. In their fourth game, the Hawks did just that.
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They picked up their first victory of the season with a 3-1 win over the Mammoth. It was Blashill’s first win as a head coach since 2022 with the Detroit Red Wings.
“I really like this group. I like them as people, I like them as competitors (and) I like them as athletes,” Blashill said. “They’re a group that ultimately wants to be great.
“It was disappointing over the first three games (when) we had moments of good hockey and put ourselves in position to win and (did) not. For me personally, it’s a good feeling to get that one out of the way, and hopefully there’s many more to come.”
The teams entered the second period scoreless after an uneventful first. Ilya Mikheyev squeaked a goal past goaltender Vitek Vanecek to give the Hawks a 1-0 advantage. He later sealed the win with an empty-net tap-in.
Hawks goaltender Spencer Knight’s hot start continued as he turned away 22 shots. He has saved 81 of 88 shots this season (a .920 percentage) and picked up his 50th win as an NHL starter.
“I don’t really like to focus on just winning the game. I think the process matters,” Knight said. “The more we focus on that, the more we’ll be in positions to win hockey games.”
After Utah’s JJ Peterka tied the score a minute into the third period, the Hawks used a power play to take the lead back for good. Left wing André Burakovsky launched a shot off a Nick Foligno assist for his second goal of the season. It was a perfect way to celebrate his 700th NHL game.
“I saw they were collapsing down there and I was trying to find the open ice,” Burakovsky said. “Really good vision from (Foligno) to find and see that open ice for sure.
“It’s a really good group and I really enjoy being here. I’m super excited to be a part of this group and getting more comfortable every day.”
Center Jason Dickinson returned from an upper-body injury. He missed the home opener because of a hit he took in Boston. He earned an assist on Mikheyev’s first goal.
“I spent the first period finding my game again and getting back into the rhythm of things, remembering my routes and how to play as a center-ice man again,” Dickinson said. “You have to get back into it quickly and get yourself going.”
Defenseman Artyom Levshunov returned to the lineup after he was a healthy scratch versus Montreal. The 2024 No. 2 draft pick was the seventh dressed defenseman for the Hawks. He almost got an assist on Mikheyev’s goal, but it was switched to Ryan Donato and Dickinson.
“He did what I think could make him special,” Blashill said of Levshunov, “and that’s be really strong in his own end, being able to skate himself out of a little bit of trouble and then make a little breakout pass. He was decisive, so I thought he did a really good job coming back in.”
Left wing Lukas Reichel was absent from the lineup after making his season debut Saturday. He played 6 minutes, 41 seconds against the Canadiens.
Burakovsky received a puck for his 700th game. So did Blashill for the win, but don’t expect any champagne to be popped.
“He probably holds things close to his chest,” Dickinson said. “He’s got a good poker face if he was emotional.”