Blackhawks Hit Many Milestones in Big Win Over the Senators

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The Chicago Blackhawks hosted the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night (Oct. 28) at the United Center, and it was a night to remember for the Blackhawks. They won the game by a commanding score of 7-3, and now improve to a commendable 5-3-2 in their first 10 games of the 2025-26 campaign.

It was another statement win for these Blackhawks, who also put up eight goals in a dominant 8-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 15. These two contests were the blowout wins. But this young squad has come out on top in many close games as well. They’re coming together as a team, and finding ways to win. This was also a night of many individual milestones. Let’s celebrate all the fun that was encapsulated in this contest.

Dach Nets 1st Goal of the Season

Colton Dach got the scoring started in the first period. He was at the right place at the right time to knock in the rebound off a shot by defenseman Louis Crevier.

It was Dach’s first goal of the season, despite having numerous chances in the first nine games. The 22-year-old played in 25 games last season and contributed two goals and seven points. But this is the first season he’s been considered an everyday player out of training camp for the Blackhawks.

Dach has a unique skill set in that he brings size and physicality to the table, along with a good amount of skill. The Blackhawks want him to be a power forward for the team. Head coach Jeff Blashill was complimentary of Dach’s last few games especially.

I thought the last game (versus the LA Kings on Oct. 26) his first period was really good. I thought he did a lot of things that power forwards do. Tonight he was at the net; he’s been very physical.”

Blashill further mentioned Dach is at the top of the NHL in hits. He currently ranks sixth in the league, with 44 hits.

Foligno Reaches 600 NHL Points

Blackhawks’ captain Nick Foligno was credited with the secondary assist on Dach’s goal, which turned out to be his 600th NHL point. The 37-year-old is in his 19th season in the league, but he certainly hasn’t lost his passion for the game. Foligno seems to be having tons of fun leading this young Blackhawks’ group, and watching them grow and improve.

Nick Foligno Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks’ veteran Nick Foligno is enjoying his time with this young team. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Foligno spent the majority of his post-game media availability singing the praises of Bedard, and the group as a whole. He expressed how they’re all hungry to be a part of building the Blackhawks back up again.

Speaking of hungry, the Blackhawks head out on a six-game road trip which starts this Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets. Always one for levity, Foligno joked about missing Halloween with his kids.

I’m pissed I’m missing trick-or-treating with my kids; I’m not gonna lie. I gotta talk to the NHL about letting me just trick-or-treat, and it’s my birthday too!

Yes, Foligno turns 38 this Friday, and will definitely be the old man of the team at that point. By the way, his go-to candy is a Reese’s peanut butter cup. Maybe some of the “kids” on the team can treat him to his favorite sweet.

Crevier’s 1st Career Multi-Point Game

We already spoke about Crevier’s primary assist on Dach’s first goal of the season. But the towering 6-foot-8 blueliner wasn’t done there. He also netted his second goal of the season to give the Blackhawks a 2-0 lead.

I love the way Crevier pats everyone on the head after his goal, seeing as he towers over all his teammates.

The 24-year-old has found his niche with the Blackhawks this season. Blashill has gone with a lineup of 11 forwards and seven defensemen through eight of the team’s ten games. This is to compensate for the inexperience on the blue line with many young D-men. But it’s also a testament to the trust the head coach has in Crevier. He raves about Crevier’s ability on the penalty kill, as well as being available to balance out the minutes among the right-handed defensemen.

Bedard’s 50th NHL Goal

Well, this was obviously the big news of the night. Bedard went on to score on the power play to give the Blackhawks a 3-0 lead. It was his 49th NHL goal. But then early in the second frame, he got the job done to become the seventh Blackhawks’ franchise player to hit 50 goals before 21 years of age. He joins Eddie Olczyk, Jeremy Roenick, Jonathan Toews, Bobby Hull, Denis Savard and Patrick Kane in this milestone.

Bedard certainly made this one look easy, with a beautiful zone entry and then a sneaky snapshot for the finish. It’s obvious the 20-year-old is becoming more and more comfortable and confident, and his elite talent is coming through. Which leads to the next milestone.

Bedard Notches 1st Career Hat Trick

After Bedard’s second period goal, the Blackhawk’s let their foot off the gas a little bit. The Senators clawed their way back into the game, outshooting Chicago 9-5 in the frame and scoring three unanswered goals, to bring the score to 4-3 when the buzzer sounded. Were the Blackhawks going to let a 4-0 lead slip through their fingers?!

Not this time. Bedard to the rescue once again!

The irony here is the goal happened so fast you barely even see it. Ryan Greene won the faceoff, and Bedard immediately put it away with a nasty wrister. Incidentally, this was Greene’s first NHL assist, to add to his first NHL goal (on Oct. 15 versus the Blues).

Related – Ryan Greene Making Most of Opportunity With Blackhawks

According to Natural Stat Trick, Greene spent 11:06 minutes in this game deployed on the top line with Bedard and Andre Burakovsky. He also won 3-of-6 faceoffs (including the one above) for a 50% success rate. Kudos to the 22-year-old for making the most of his opportunity!

Donato Hits 100 Points With Blackhawks

The Blackhawks proceeded to pad the score from here, with a goal by Ryan Donato and then the short-handed, empty-net goal by Frank Nazar (the Blackhawks and Nazar’s first shorty of the season, by the way). Donato’s tally was his 100th goal as a Blackhawk. It was also assisted by Bedard, his fourth point on the night.

Donato had a career year with the Blackhawks last season, contributing 31 goals and 62 points. Many questioned whether that was just a lucky season, and he won’t be able to put up those kind of numbers again. Well, Donato is doing his best to squash that sentiment. Through 10 games, he’s already scored six goals and eight points, which is a 66-point pace through 82 games.

Related – Q&A With Blackhawks’ Difference-Maker Ryan Donato

Donato’s continued offseason focus on improving his speed and overall game seems to be paying off once again.

Other Blackhawks’ Tidbits

As if all these milestones aren’t enough, here’s a few more tidbits from this contest.

Sam Lafferty suited up for this game, but it was only his second appearance through 10 matchups. He was mainly brought back into the fold as insurance in case some of the younger players weren’t ready. Luckily for the Blackhawks but unluckily for Lafferty, the kids have proven ready. Nevertheless, this was Lafferty’s 100th game as a Blackhawk.

Lafferty played a team low 9:55 minutes in this contest; 2:24 of which was on the penalty kill. Time will tell how much Lafferty’s services will be needed in the future.

After a struggling power play in recent games, the Blackhawks put Burakovsky (replacing Teuvo Teravainen) on the top PP unit & moved Bedard to the right side. It paid off immediately with this power play goal to bring the score to 3-0.

I already mentioned Nazar’s shorty and empty net goal to put this game away. He also notched the secondary assist on Bedard’s power play goal above. This is just the beginning of what looks to be a promising breakout campaign for the 21-year-old. In the last four games he’s contributed three goals and five points. He’s at five goals and 11 points on the season.

Related – Nick, Blackhawks’ Bedard & Nazar Embracing Roles at Leaders

Things are certainly looking up for the Blackhawks. They will now take their 5-3-2 record on the road for a long six-game trip against four Canadian teams, the Seattle Kraken and the Detroit Red Wings. Can they continue their hot hand on road? It will be a good measuring stick for this squad to prove their current winning ways are no fluke.

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