The Chicago Blackhawks were in Las Vegas for their first game of the season, as they had a tough matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas, of course, was in the Stanley Cup Final back in June, and now they’re looking to defend their Western Conference crown while trying to finish the job this time around.
Vegas has elite players up and down their lineup, and they are all filled with the pedigree needed to win games in bunches. Most of them were at the top of their game in a 5-2 victory over the Blackhawks on their home ice.
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The leader among them was Jack Eichel, who had a three point night (1-2–3) in the win for the Golden Knights. Victor Olofsson, Trevor Connelly (first career NHL goal), Noah Hanifin, and Mark Stone (empty-netter) also scored.
Jordan Greenway scored the first goal of the season for the Chicago Blackhawks, and it was a great shot to beat Carter Hart. Wyatt Kaiser made a great move that allowed Ryan Greene and Jordan Greenway to make a play, and the latter gave his team a great first impression.
It was that fourth line with Greene, Greenway, and Cole Smith that played the best of all Chicago lines in the loss. They are the team’s 4th line, but they created chances, kept Vegas at bay, and scored a goal. They will mostly need to simply be an energy line throughout the season, but they showed how good they can be in this one, despite losing the game.
Patrick Kane scored Chicago’s second goal of the game. This was the first goal that Kane has scored in a Chicago sweater since 2023, before he was traded to the New York Rangers. It was a breakaway goal that he created for himself. His hands and patience allowed him to find the back of the net. Vintage Patrick Kane was on full display there.
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In addition to the goal, Kane had 4 shots, 8 shot attempts, and managed to play 21:36. At his age, it is impressive to see him still playing at this level. The Blackhawks didn’t bring him in for a feel-good story. It happens to be a feel-good story, but he is there to play well and help young guys develop.
Spencer Knight was the main reason that the score wasn’t worse than it showed. He would say he’d like to be better than four goals against, but they were hardly all on him. He made 32 saves on 36 shots, as Vegas peppered him all night long. The Blackhawks, especially early in the game, had no answer for Vegas’s speed on the rush. Knight faced the brunt of that issue.
Vegas is an incredibly hard team to face, especially for a young team like Chicago in their first game of the season. Not every opponent will be as good as they are, but they will all be difficult in their own way. For the Blackhawks, this is a process that they hope will lead to better results as the year wears on.
Andrew Mangiapane Injury Update
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Andrew Mangiapane was part of a few scoring chances in the first period, but he hurt himself one shift into the second period. He did not return for the rest of the game. Once the match ended, Jeff Blashill confirmed that Mangiapane would not play again on their current road trip, which has two more games on it.
First Time Blackhawks
Roman Kantserov made his NHL debut in this game. He didn’t score a goal or have an assist, but he clearly demonstrated high-end offensive abilities more than once. In 17:07 of ice time, he had one shot and three hits. He also didn’t give the puck away once while earning a takeaway. When Mangiapane went down, Kantserov was one of the players to take a few shifts in his spot. Early on, Jeff Blashill already trusts the young star.
Ian Cole, Bowen Byram, Cole Smith, and Jordan Greenway are the other players who made their Blackhawks debut in the game. Obviously, Greenway’s goal was the most noticeable moment for any of them, but they all showed promise as they try to play a role in getting this team back on track.
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What’s Next For The Blackhawks?
The Chicago Blackhawks are now 0-1-0 in the 2026-27 season. They will now head to Salt Lake City for their first Central Division showdown as they take on the Utah Mammoth on Thursday night.
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