Kane Makes History, Levshunov Ends It: Blackhawks Beat Winnipeg 4–3 in Overtime

CHICAGO — A familiar name rewrote an NHL record Thursday night, and a younger Blackhawk supplied the finish. Artyom Levshunov scored 1:37 into overtime to lift Chicago past the Winnipeg Jets 4–3 at United Center, capping a game in which Patrick Kane moved ahead of Phil Housley for the most career assists by a United States-born player.

Kane assisted on Connor Bedard's opening goal, registering his 895th career helper and taking sole possession of the mark. The veteran added another assist on the deciding play in overtime. Between those bookends, Chicago built a two-goal cushion, surrendered its advantage, survived late pressure and found a way to win a game it could easily have lost.

The game began with an important moment for Bedard, who had missed the first six games of Chicago's season because of a shoulder injury. His first goal of 2026–27 came on the power play at 8:11 of the first period, with Kane and Tyler Bertuzzi assisting. More than merely opening the scoring, the shot reintroduced a central offensive weapon to a team that had begun its season without him.

The goal also carried the franchise's past and future in the same sequence. Kane, the established veteran, delivered the record-setting assist. Bedard, the young player around whom so much of Chicago's offense is built, supplied the finish. The two did not need an elaborate storyline imposed on them; the scoring play provided a clear one.

Chicago kept generating opportunities. Frank Nazar scored an unassisted goal to make it 2–0. After Winnipeg's Neal Pionk answered, Ryan Donato restored a two-goal Chicago lead before the first intermission. A 3–1 advantage after 20 minutes suggested the home team might be able to control the contest. Instead, the next two periods tested how secure that lead really was.

Kyle Connor struck on the power play in the second period, cutting the margin to 3–2. Winnipeg had the puck, the shot volume and the attacking talent to continue pressing. Early in the third, Alex Iafallo redirected a Pionk shot into the net to tie it 3–3. The Jets had erased the deficit without needing Chicago to collapse in one isolated sequence. They steadily brought the score back within reach, then level.

Chicago faced a crucial decision point after the equalizer: respond to the shift in momentum or spend the closing minutes simply trying to survive. The Blackhawks were outshot 34–28 for the game, making Spencer Knight's work in goal especially consequential. Knight finished with 31 saves. One of his most important came in overtime, when he turned aside a Neal Pionk opportunity during a Winnipeg rush to keep Chicago alive.

A little more than a minute later, the puck moved the other way. Kane helped Chicago enter the offensive zone and left the puck for Bedard, whose pass found Levshunov moving into space. Levshunov carried toward the slot and beat Stuart Skinner to end the game. It was the first game-winning goal of the defenseman’s NHL career.

This was not a flawless defensive performance. Chicago allowed Winnipeg to recover from a 3–1 first-period deficit and needed its goaltender to make a high-value save after regulation. Yet those circumstances make the response more meaningful. The Blackhawks protected the game long enough to get the puck to the players capable of deciding it.

Kane finished with two assists, leaving the U.S.-born NHL record at 896. Record milestones can sometimes interrupt discussion of the game in which they happen, but Kane's night resists that separation. Both assists produced Chicago goals; the second helped win the game. His place in the league's history and his continuing day-to-day contribution were visible together.

Bedard produced one goal and one assist, building on his season debut earlier in the week against Pittsburgh. Chicago's scoring came from several places: Bedard on the power play, Nazar at even strength, Donato before the first break and Levshunov in overtime. That spread of contributors gave Chicago a different shape from an offense entirely dependent on one player.

Chicago's victory was its second in succession and improved its home record to 3–1–0. The Blackhawks remain early in the schedule and cannot treat one overtime result as proof that all defensive concerns have been solved. But Thursday produced tangible outcomes: another win, a career milestone for Kane, Bedard's first goal and a pressure-tested finish from Levshunov.

The Blackhawks host the Dallas Stars on Saturday, October 17. That game offers the next measure of whether Chicago can build on the momentum of consecutive victories. For one night, though, the most enduring image is likely to be the young defenseman celebrating while the veteran who helped create his winning goal moved further into NHL history.