Blackhawks Survive Third-Period Collapse as Soderblom Shines in Frondell's NHL Debut

The Chicago Blackhawks survived a harrowing third-period collapse to defeat the New York Islanders 4-3 at UBS Arena, with backup goaltender Arvid Soderblom delivering a spectacular 44-save performance that overshadowed rookie Anton Frondell's highly anticipated NHL debut.

Soderblom's heroics proved essential as the Blackhawks nearly squandered a commanding 4-1 lead, allowing the desperate Islanders to storm back with two late goals while outshooting Chicago 23-5 in the final frame. The 26-year-old Swedish netminder was credited with 2.60 goals saved above expected, single-handedly preserving the victory for his young teammates.

The victory marked an encouraging start to Chicago's four-game East Coast road trip, though head coach Jeff Blashill's squad learned a valuable lesson about maintaining intensity when protecting leads. The Blackhawks made the critical error of sitting back and attempting to drain the clock against a playoff-desperate Islanders team.

While Soderblom commanded attention with his stellar goaltending, the evening belonged equally to the youth movement that generated Chicago's early advantage. Nick Lardis emerged as the game's most impactful skater through two periods, recording his first career three-point performance with a goal and two assists.

Lardis has flourished since receiving a promotion to the second line alongside Tyler Bertuzzi and Frank Nazar, scoring in consecutive games while demonstrating the offensive production that made him an intriguing 2023 third-round selection. His chemistry with Nazar proved particularly effective, as they set each other up for goals on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, Frondell's debut provided glimpses of the skill that made him the third overall pick in 2025. The Swedish forward wasted little time making his mark, springing Ilya Mikheyev for a breakaway goal in the first period to earn his first NHL point via the primary assist.

Despite the adjustment challenges, Frondell showcased his two-way talent with an excellent third-period play, stripping the puck from Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer at Chicago's blue line before joining the rush for a quality scoring chance. He finished with one assist, two shots, and two blocked shots in 15:44 of ice time.

The game began ominously for Chicago, as Anders Lee deflected Matthew Schaefer's shot past Soderblom just 49 seconds into the contest. The early deficit seemed to energize the visitors, who responded with three unanswered goals to transform a nightmarish start into a 3-1 advantage after one period.

Lardis tied the game at 12:46 with his seventh goal of the season, capitalizing after Nazar regained control behind the Islanders' net during a broken 2-on-0 rush. Mikheyev's breakaway goal, set up by Frondell's crisp pass, gave Chicago the lead at 18:06, while Tyler Bertuzzi added insurance with 29 seconds remaining in the period.

The second period belonged to the Lardis-Nazar connection, as Lardis forced a turnover behind the net before feeding Nazar for a one-timer that extended Chicago's advantage to 4-1. The goal gave Nazar his 12th of the season while completing a five-point performance between the two young forwards.

Soderblom's excellence became increasingly apparent as the Islanders dominated possession, facing quality chances that the Swedish goaltender consistently turned aside. His best save of the middle frame came on Bo Horvat's one-timer from the slot, sliding across to make a spectacular stop at the left post.

The third period nearly proved disastrous for Chicago's playoff-eliminated squad, as they allowed Simon Holmstrom and Calum Ritchie to score within eight minutes of each other, cutting the deficit to 4-3 with over three minutes remaining. The Islanders generated 19 shots in the final frame while Chicago managed just five.

Despite the late drama, Soderblom held firm to secure the victory, improving his record while providing hope for Chicago's goaltending future. The win moves the Blackhawks to 27-31-13 through 71 games as they continue their developmental season.

The road trip continues Thursday in Philadelphia, where another prospect, Sacha Boisvert, could make his NHL debut after finally receiving his work visa. For the Blackhawks, Tuesday's victory demonstrated both the promise of their youth movement and the continued need for improved game management.