Overview
- The Blackhawks lost 4-3 in Buffalo Saturday night after surrendering two unanswered third-period goals that erased a 3-2 lead and gave the Sabres the win.
- Rasmus Dahlin tied the game early in the third and Jiri Kulich scored the go-ahead goal at 13:20, the latter his first goal in nearly a year after missing time for blood-clot treatment.
- Buffalo controlled play for much of the night, out-attempting and outshooting Chicago and holding the Hawks to a low share of expected goals at 5-on-5, which left Chicago with only 15 shots on goal.
- Spencer Knight kept the score close with a heavy workload and key saves while Anton Frondell provided a bright spot with two assists, but individual plays could not overcome repeated defensive and transition breakdowns.
- Chicago returns home without a point from the season-opening road trip, Bowen Byram missed the trip for a personal matter, Connor Bedard remains out with no firm timeline for return, and the team faces a Tuesday home opener where lineup and structural fixes will be under early-season scrutiny.