The Chicago Blackhawks suffered their worst defeat since New Year’s Eve 2023 on Saturday night, falling 9-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C.
The defending champion Hurricanes overwhelmed Chicago by scoring the first seven goals of the contest. The nine goals allowed tied a Carolina franchise record since the team relocated from Hartford, Connecticut, in 1997.
A Rurally Brutal Outing
The blowout capped a difficult 0-3 road trip for the Blackhawks, during which they were outscored 18-6. Chicago dropped to 4-13-1 on the season, extending a losing streak to six games and marking nine losses in their last ten outings. They remain winless away from the United Center with an 0-8-1 away record.
Carolina set the tone early when right wing Seth Jarvis scored just 1 minute, 34 seconds into the game. Wings Jackson Blake and Jordan Martinook added goals before the first period ended, staking the hosts to a 4-0 lead. Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho, and defenseman Alexander Nikishin expanded the lead further in the second period.
The surge forced Chicago goaltender Spencer Knight to the bench with 9:24 remaining in the second period. Knight stopped 11 of 17 shots, while backup Arvid Söderblom entered in relief to stop 12 shots.
Roman Kantserov broke the shutout bid for the Blackhawks at 5:56 of the third period with his ninth goal of the season, which leads all NHL rookies. Connor Bedard followed with his fifth goal of the campaign, though he declined to celebrate.
The Chicago Blackhawks capped a winless trip with a 9-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. They fell to 4-13-1 overall and at 0-8-1 are the only NHL team without a road win. https://t.co/Zen4mbFtxf
It’s embarrassing to lose like that,
Bedard said. We give up nine — and especially we leave our goalies out to dry like that and the way they’ve played for us, battled for us — it’s hard.
Locker Room Reckoning
Following the loss, the Blackhawks held a lengthy team meeting to address their ongoing struggles. Players described the session as an opportunity to air frustrations and evaluate their standing.
Getting the frustration out, everybody speaking their mind and trying to get to the reality of it: What’s the spot we’re in? How do we get better? How do we get out of it?
defenseman Wyatt Kaiser said.
The defeat arrived during Jeff Blashill’s 100th game as Hawks coach. Blashill holds a 33-52-15 record since taking over in May 2025, alongside a 237-313-87 career record that includes a tenure with the Detroit Red Wings from 2015 to 2022. When asked about his job security, Blashill expressed confidence in the locker room and management.
All I’m thinking about right now is trying to find the solutions we (need) moving forward, get us onto a roll where we start winning more hockey games,
Blashill stated.
Hurricanes Win Sixth Game in Seven Matches
The Hurricanes earned their sixth win in seven games, with Pyotr Kochetkov stopping 18 shots in his return following a franchise-record 10-game winning streak. Seven different players scored for Carolina, including multi-goal performances from Martinook and Svechnikov.
Chicago now faces a four-day break before returning home to host the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday at the United Center.
Four days is a long time in the middle of the season,
Bedard said. It’s four days to regroup and try to start a new season, almost.
