It was a coming-back-to-earth moment for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Things started off great Wednesday in the Hawks’ return to United Center after a 3-2-1 trip. Connor Bedard scored his 10th goal of the season on a first-period five-on-three — his ninth straight game with a point — to get the Hawks faithful pumped up.

Photos: Chicago Blackhawks lose to New Jersey Devils 4-3 in OT

The Hawks outshot the New Jersey Devils 12-10 in the first, one of the few times they’ve won in that category. That’s when the offense disappeared.

They had only eight combined shots on goal in the second and third periods. While the Hawks were able to take the game to overtime, they weren’t able to find their first-period selves.

The Hawks (8-5-4) fell to the Eastern Conference-leading Devils 4-3 in overtime on defenseman Simon Nemec’s third goal of the game. The point was welcome, but they knew they didn’t play their best hockey.

“We just didn’t have our ‘A’ game,” captain Nick Foligno said. “I thought we competed hard and found a way to get a point, and that’s important coming off a road trip. It was weird because we did compete, but it just seemed like the energy to make the simple plays or the sharpness that we normally played with seemed missing a little bit.”

It was a confusing game for sure, as the Hawks were unable to hold 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 leads. Some new faces tried to preserve their three-game winning streak.

Forward Landon Slaggert — hours after being recalled from Rockford — sent a sudden snipe from the blue line into the goal at 3:05 of the second period to give the Hawks their second lead. Forward Sam Lafferty made the most of his increased ice time with a goal of the year candidate late in the third period.

“It started with a great wall play by Foligno that allowed me to blow out of the zone,” Lafferty said.  “From there, instincts took over. Luckily enough, it went in.”

Added Hawks coach Jeff Blashill: “I was pumped for him. He’s a great person, got a great perspective. He’s not happy to be sitting, but he’s been a team guy the whole time. Real professional, so for him to have that moment was pretty cool. It was a sick goal.”

The Devils (12-4-1) got an unexpected hat trick from Nemec. He was all by himself in overtime when he collected a full-ice pass from goaltender Jacob Markstrom and ended the game on a solo breakaway.

Nemec arrived at the United Center with one goal this season and three in his 102 previous games. The Devils now have beaten the Hawks seven straight times.

It was an continuation of unwelcome trends for the Hawks: lackluster second periods, goaltender Spencer Knight preventing a blowout and poor extra-time play. The Hawks have lost four of their five overtime and shootout games.

“We just weren’t as assertive with the puck as we needed to be,” Blashill said. “We weren’t supporting it well enough in the second, so it just kind of kept ending up in our end a lot.

“I just think as a whole for the night, we didn’t have our best game. On that note, we did find a way to get a point when we didn’t have our best. We know these games coming back from long trips are hard and you’re not letting it be an excuse, but sometimes in an 82-game schedule you’re going to have nights when you don’t feel your best and we were able to find a way to a point.”

The Hawks were without three forwards against the Devils. Frank Nazar (mid-body) and Jason Dickinson (upper body, injured reserve) were ruled out the day before, while André Burakovsky was a new absence as he deals with an illness. All three are questionable for Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

There are no moral victories in the Hawks locker room. Foligno and Blashill made that clear. At the same time, a point against the top team in the East while banged up deserves some acknowledgement.

“I don’t really love moral victories, but it’s hard not to say that we’ve grown,” Foligno said. “This is a game that, in years previous that I’ve been here, we would’ve lost by three or four because it would’ve just crumbled on us.”