The Chicago Blackhawks spoil the Montreal Canadiens' clinching a playoff spot

The Chicago Blackhawks held on for the 4-3 shootout win Monday, postponing Montreal's opportunity to secure a playoff spot.

Frank Nazar had a standout performance for Chicago, notching a goal and an assist during regulation. He also scored the decisive shootout goal.

Goaltender Arvid Soderblom stopped all three shootout attempts and made 18 saves on 21 shots during regulation and overtime.

With the win, Chicago moves to 24-46-11 on the season. Montreal needed a victory over the Blackhawks to clinch the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

They only received one point following their shootout loss, bringing their point total to 89.

They're four points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have two games remaining. The Canadiens can still clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday or if the Columbus Blue Jackets lose one of their final two games.

Ryan Greene made his NHL debut with the Hawks Monday. He finished the game with 12:55 of ice time.

It was the Ivan Demidov Show in the first period.

Montreal's Ivan Demidov, whom many Blackhawks fans hoped GM Kyle Davidson would select in the 2024 NHL Draft, made a memorable NHL debut, tallying a goal and an assist.

The 19-year-old assisted on Alex Newhook's opening goal six minutes into the first period, then scored his first NHL goal at 13:32, chasing a loose puck that hit the end boards and beating Soderblom on the backhand, giving the Canadiens a 2-0 lead.

Chicago responded with a power-play goal from Tyler Bertuzzi with 1:20 left to go in the first period, narrowing the deficit to 2-1 heading into the first intermission.

Nazar Ties it; Reichel Gives Chicago the Lead in the second period.

In the second period, Frank Nazar tied the game up for the Blackhawks on the power-play with a one-timer from the top of the left circle. The teams remained deadlocked at 2-2 after two periods of play.

Lukas Reichel's goal came 5:39 minutes into the third period, giving the Blackhawks their first lead of the game. Landon Slaggert set up the play with a saucer pass, allowing Reichel to slip behind the defense and beat Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault with a snap shot that trickled across the goal line.

The Habs answered back with a power-play goal from Juraj Slafkovsky. Cole Caufield fired a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle that deflected off Slafkovsky's skate, then the right post, before bouncing off Soderblom and into the net.

Each team had five shots on goal as the game went into overtime all tied up at three.

The Shootout

Each team had limited scoring chances in overtime, with the Blackhawks holding a slight 2-1 edge in shots on goal. However, Montreal stood tall and forced a shootout.

Frank Nazar scored the controversial shootout game-winner on a backhand shot with the puck getting stuck in the net, and no one noticed at first. Nazar was the only one who knew the puck had gone in.

Everyone was still trying to figure out where the puck went. It was stuck behind the net behind Montembeault, causing some confusion before the officials confirmed the goal.

Nick Suzuki had a chance to keep the shootout alive as he attempted a backhand shot that hit the post and stayed out. The Blackhawks held on for the win, denying the Canadiens a chance to clinch the playoffs.

3 Takeaways from the Win:

1. Frank Nazar's Performance: Frank Nazar finished this game with two points (1 goal, 1 assist). He logged in 19:49 of ice time, recorded two shots on goal, and added a hit. After the game, Blackhawks interim head coach Anders Sorensen called Frank Nazar a "dynamite player."

2. Ivan Demidov's Debut: It was no doubt in mind that Ivan Demidov was going to make a name for himself. The 19-year-old recorded two points (1 goal, 1 assist) and finished with a +1 rating in his NHL debut.

3. Season Series Sweep: Following the shootout win, the Blackhawks sweep their season series over the Montreal Canadiens. Chicago previously earned a 4-2 win on Jan. 3 at the United Center.

What's Next: The Blackhawks close out the 2024-25 season in Ottawa against the Senators Tuesday. Puck drop is at 6:00 p.m. CST on CHSN and ESPN+. Fans can also tune in on WGN Radio 720.