Overview
- Washington seized control with three first-period goals and closed out a 5-1 win at the United Center.
- Alex Ovechkin scored his 19th of the season for 916 career goals, becoming the 187th different goalie scorer against Drew Commesso.
- Connor Bedard logged 17:07 with four shots and reported feeling fine after his right-shoulder injury, though he did not record a point.
- Chicago scratched goalies Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom plus skaters Ilya Mikheyev and Louis Crevier due to a flu bug; Commesso made 19 saves in his second NHL start and an emergency backup dressed.
- The defeat snapped Chicago’s four-game winning streak; the Blackhawks went 5-6-1 during Bedard’s 12-game absence.