By Townhall Chicago News Staff
The Chicago Blackhawks surrendered three unanswered goals Friday night at United Center in a 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, a defeat that overshadowed a pair of significant milestones for the franchise.
The loss dropped Chicago to a 3-6-1 record through 10 games of the 2026-27 season, but the night carried historical weight as defenseman Ian Cole became the 422nd skater in NHL history to appear in 1,000 career regular-season games.
Captain Connor Bedard gave the Blackhawks an early advantage, firing a wrist shot past Montreal goaltender Jacob Fowler at 4:23 of the opening period. The goal was Bedard’s second of the season and gave the 21-year-old captain points in three of his first four games since making his season debut on Oct. 13 against Pittsburgh.
Bedard’s 77th career NHL goal tied Alex DeBrincat for the sixth-most by a Blackhawks player age 21 or younger, according to the team’s website.
Patrick Kane assisted on Bedard’s tally, collecting his 897th career NHL assist. The milestone leaves the Buffalo, New York, native three helpers away from becoming the first American-born player and the 21st player in league history to reach 900 career assists. Kane recently passed Phil Housley for the all-time lead in assists among U.S.-born players.
Despite the early lead, Chicago could not sustain momentum. Montreal’s Jake Evans scored twice as the Canadiens gradually pulled away over the final two periods.
Cole’s milestone capped 17 NHL seasons across eight franchises. The 37-year-old Ann Arbor, Michigan, native has amassed 233 points, 1,849 blocked shots and 1,262 hits across his career. He joined Ryan McDonagh as just the second defenseman selected in the 2007 NHL Draft to reach the 1,000-game mark, according to the Blackhawks.
The veteran blueliner entered Friday leading Chicago with 15 blocked shots while sharing the club lead in plus-minus at plus-2.
Chicago’s penalty kill provided a bright spot, going 3-for-3 against Montreal and killing off five straight opposing power plays. The unit improved its season rate to 76.7 percent.
The Blackhawks have now recorded double-digit blocked shots in each of the club’s first 10 games, averaging 11.78 per game. Cole, Wyatt Kaiser and Alex Vlasic all carry double-digit totals on the season.
Goaltender Spencer Knight took the loss despite making saves throughout the contest. Knight had won two of his three previous starts entering the game.
Head coach Jeff Blashill addressed the media after the loss but did not provide public comments in the team’s written recap. Cole and Bedard also met with reporters following the game, according to the team’s website.
The Blackhawks continue their homestand Sunday when they host the Florida Panthers at United Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 2 p.m. The game marks the first of two meetings between the clubs this season, with the second set for Nov. 4 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
Chicago owns a 3-1-0 record against Florida over the last four meetings at United Center.
