SALT LAKE CITY--The Blackhawks dropped their season opener 5-2 to Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday night at the Delta Center, as Utah played its first game in NHL history.
Not only was this game historic for Utah, but also marked a milestone for Chicago where rookie defenseman Nolan Allan made his NHL debut, originally drafted by the Blackhawks in the first round (32nd overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft.
Blackhawks got off to a slow start when Utah opened the scoring five minutes in with Dylan Guenther scoring the first goal in Utah Hockey Club history and followed up with another less than ten minutes later. Chicago was unable to answer and was outshot in the opening frame.
The Blackhawks came out strong in the second period, generating six shots in the first five minutes. Despite the pressure, Utah extended their lead to 3-0 halfway through the period. Teuvo Teravainen got Chicago on the board with a backhand goal off a feed from Connor Bedard, and the Blackhawks outshot Utah 11-7 in the second.
Chicago entered the third period facing a multi-goal deficit but played a competitive final frame. Five minutes in, Nick Foligno tipped in his first goal as captain on a point shot from the blue line by Alex Vlasic, cutting Utah's lead to 3-2. Chicago continued to push for the equalizer, creating several quality chances and maintaining pressure throughout the period. However, Utah sealed the game with two goals in the final minute, putting the contest out of reach for the Blackhawks. Final shots on goal slightly favored Chicago, 27-26.
