The first two periods of the Blackhawks‘ season finale Wednesday mirrored their last few weeks: Sloppy, slow and worrying.
Then a lucky goal off Sam Rinzel’s stick late in the second period shifted momentum, and it seemed the Hawks suddenly discovered an extra reserve energy tank, racing away for a 5-2 win over the Sharks.
They dominated the third period, getting two beautiful goals from Louis Crevier, two assists from Connor Bedard (both saucy backhand passes) and a redemption goal by Ryan Greene, who had missed an empty net earlier.
“We wanted to finish on a good note, even though the last couple weeks have been hard,” Crevier said. “It doesn’t erase what happened, but we showed some character in the third.”
Bedard sets up Crevier for the game-tying goal 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/qgpUIGRr6H
— Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) April 16, 2026
Wednesday’s result marked the first time the Sharks, demoralized after getting eliminated from playoff contention Monday, lost in regulation after leading at the second intermission all season.
It also marked just the Hawks’ fourth win in their last 18 home games. They finished the season 29-39-14, earning 72 points — up from 61 last season.
“We were never checked out or anything like that,” Bedard said. “We were trying every game. That’s something we want people to know. Obviously [it] didn’t go our way, but there wasn’t a day where we weren’t trying to do everything we can to put out our best effort.
“Coming into this last game, we really wanted to…show our fans just how much pride we have in playing in the NHL but also playing in Chicago. I’m happy we were able to do that and have a win to end the year.”
Crevier delivered a heroic performance, not only with the two goals but also two crucial blocks on a third-period penalty kill, as he bounced back from what he called one of his worst performances of the season Monday against the Sabres.
His evolution from seventh defenseman into top-four regular was one of the more satisfying under-the-radar trends of this Hawks season. As coach Jeff Blashill put it, “Mental toughness is a huge part of individual success.”