The Chicago Blackhawks wrapped up the 2024-25 season by beating the Ottawa Senators 4-3 in overtime. They had no business winning this game, as Ottawa dominated 5v5 play, but this young core found a way to take home a victory—another vital step in their learning.
Heading into the game, interim head coach Anders Sorensen said he wanted “a good follow-up effort and a compete level after last night.” He got that as the Blackhawks scored two goals on their first three shots.
Connor Bedard tied his goal production from his rookie season by quickly firing a long-distance off the post and in.
Less than five minutes later, Joe Veleno doubled the lead by scoring from the high slot on a shot with no business going in. The Senators took over the rest of the period. They got on the board just 43 seconds after the Veleno goal, as Nick Cousins snuck in behind Sam Rinzel and beat Spencer Knight. At the end of the frame, Ottawa had a 15-4 shot advantage.
The Senators’ domination continued in the second period, as they outshot the Blackhawks 16-5 and outscored them 2-1. All three second-period goals came on the power play. The Senators needed only nine seconds to score their two goals on the man advantage. Thomas Chabot scored four seconds after the initial faceoff; then Drake Batherson did it in five seconds.
Thankfully for the Blackhawks, Bedard scored a power-play goal of his own in between the two Ottawa tallies. He was given space and time at the left dot and used it to fire a wrist shot into the top corner of the net to set a new career-high with 23 goals.
After a scoreless third that saw the Blackhawks have the edge in 5v5 play, the game headed to overtime. Frank Nazar capped off his first professional season by scoring his 12th goal to end the game just 48 seconds into the extra. Bedard picked up his third point of the night with the assist. Even though Sam Rinzel didn’t get credit for a helper, he should have gotten a point on the play.
A Great Game for Connor Bedard to Finish With
The Blackhawks finish the season with the fewest shots on goal in the NHL. This has been an issue for a while now. They were a passive team under Luke Richardson, and it didn’t change much after Sorensen took over in early December.
It doesn’t help when your best player, Bedard, looks to pass more than just taking the shot. If you had read our game previews, you would have noticed that most teams’ shot leader had 250, 275, or even 300 shots on goal. Bedard finished with a team-high 195 shots.
Tonight was a good night for him to carry into the offseason. After no shots on goal in Montreal last night, he had four shots on goal. Both of his goals came from getting the puck on his stick and quickly taking a shot. Bedard has a great shot, and we need to see him use it more.
After the game, Bedard talked about what he needs to work on during the offseason. While he feels like he’s “rounded out” his game more, he knows he needs to take a step forward in his production.
“I think the biggest thing is speed and explosiveness is number one for me,” he said. “That’s always been my big thing. Just try to learn about my body a bit and how to keep consistency throughout the year and stuff like that. Hopefully, it’s a successful offseason.
“I think I’ll do stuff a bit differently. I know my goals. I’ve talked to a lot of people and figure stuff out. Try to obviously improve in those areas.”
This Was a Successful Season
General manager Kyle Davidson raised the bar last spring when he said the days of finishing at the bottom of the NHL standings were no longer acceptable. While the team did have a nine-point increase, they actually finished one spot lower in the standings than last season. All that being said, this was a successful season, points be damned.
Think of how you felt after the Winter Classic on Dec. 31. The Blackhawks embarrassed themselves on a national stage with a pitiful effort. It felt like rock bottom, and a good portion of the fan base was losing patience with the rebuild. Then, a few veterans were traded, some youth was injected into the locker room, and first-round draft picks started playing in the NHL.
Now, the fan base and the locker room are energized, and we can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Guys like Nazar, Artyom Levshunov, Kevin Korchinski, Oliver Moore, and Sam Rinzel have arrived and look like they belong. This will be a very important summer for Davidson, with a crucial coaching hire and free agency period. Regardless of how that plays out, Blackhawks fans have pride in their team again and can’t wait for the fall to get here.
