Chicago Blackhawks enjoyed Monday night’s playoff-like environment in Montreal

Monday night was game 81 of 82 in the Chicago Blackhawks’ season slate in another tough rebuilding year for the organization. Montreal had a chance to clinch a playoff spot last night with the Blackhawks in town and got off to a strong start in the opening period. The Canadians netted the first two goals of the contest, and the second shook the entire Bell Centre.

Ivan Demidov made his NHL debut on Monday for Montreal against one of the teams that passed on him in last summer’s draft. The forward signed his entry-level contract last week and wasted no time making an impact in a big way. Demidov scored to make it 2-0 after assisting on the first goal, which was taken care of by Alex Newhook.

Demidov made his debut on Monday alongside Chicago’s Ryan Greene. The 2022 second-round draft choice of the Blackhawks signed his entry-level deal on Sunday, less than 24 hours after his Boston University Terriers lost to Western Michigan in the National Championship game.

With a couple of debuts and a playoff spot for the host on the line, the arena was buzzing much more than the Blackhawks had been accustomed to over the past few seasons. They responded to the challenge well, and the team loved the energy that the fans brought all night long.

Nick Foligno loved the atmosphere for the Chicago Blackhawks

Nick Foligno has played in his fair share of important games across his professional career. The newly appointed Blackhawks’ captain is finishing up his 19th NHL season and has been a massive help in leading this young squad during the tough years of a rebuild. Foligno was happy with how the youth movement handled a game like this, where Chicago came out on top in the 4-3 final.

“That’s probably the most momentous game that we’ve had — like, a game that mattered, Foligno said. “It was nice to…not see our guys get overwhelmed by the moment.”

Foligno is under contract for one more season with the Blackhawks next year. It is too early to tell if next season will be his last as a professional, and having two other veterans in Alec Martinez and Pat Maroon call it quits after this year could certainly put the thought into his head moving forward. The 37-year-old has consistently contributed in the bottom-six for Chicago this season, as he has 15 goals and 19 assists in 77 games played.

Monday night fired up Frank Nazar for the future

Nazar continued his scoring surge to close out the campaign last night, as he netted another goal and tallied a score in the shootout. The 2022 first-round draft choice has come into his own over the last month and is pumped up for the future, based on last night’s environment at the Bell Centre.

“If that’s what playoff hockey is going to sound like, I’m really excited for that in the future,” Nazar said.

Nazar now has 11 goals on the season and will look to take this momentum into the summer as he prepares for his first full season at the NHL level next year. He has been centering the second line for the last few weeks and has seen his game soar to new heights with veterans Tyler Bertuzzi and Tuevo Teravainen on his wings.