Connor Bedard delivers a standout performance, showcasing his skills in a pivotal game for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Some of the social media analysts were sure of the fact that Connor Bedard was broken. That was not going to recover from the slump. That the Blackhawks were not beneficial for his career. But then he began to get a point or two at that. And then now, when we looked up, Bedard was suddenly up to 26 points in 31 games.
Bedard has 4 goals and 7 assists in his last ten games, dating back to the victory over Dallas on NHL Thanksgiving Day. He has the same number of multi-point games and games without a point within that ten-game stretch—three each. And he has been credited with 22 shots on goal in those ten games.
“I just kind of try to get lost, and nice puck out, It just came right to me, shot it right at his chest and somehow it kind of found its way in. So, it’s nice to get a bounce like that.”: said Bedard, who has seven points (two goals, five assists) in his past five games.
Bedard was handily placed in the slot after Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin kicked out Ryan Donato’s wraparound attempt. He then unleashed a one-timer, which just sneaked through the five-hole of Sorokin and trickled into the far corner of the net. Connor Murphy added an empty-net goal at 19:49 for the 5-3 final.
While Connor Bedard suffers from varying accuracy in shots, he can be credited for good decision-making skills, which include participation in the Blackhawks’ power-play team, where he scores 3 goals and makes 9 assists. He has averaged 19:29 minutes of ice time per game.
Both Alex Vlasic and Arvid Soderblom emerge as significant contributors to the Blackhawks. In the meantime, players such as Nick Larson are creating buzz in junior leagues. Since Seth Jones’ injury, Vlasic’s ice time has risen to 24:16, highlighting their future potential.
Also Read: John Tavares’ Hat Trick Leads Maple Leafs to Victory
The Blackhawks are seeing positive growth coming from their roster, especially with Bedard and Vlasic but solving Kurashev’s challenges will be the key to real success. The junior league prospects that are coming up, like Lardis, are a clue to a bright future.
At 9:08 of the first period, Ilya Mikheyev put the Blackhawks ahead 1-0. Teravainen retrieved the puck behind the net and fed it to Mikheyev, who netted a quick shot from the lower left circle to Sorokin’s glove side. Ryan Pulock, Simon Holmstrom, and Noah Dobson netted goals for the Islanders (12-13-7), who had secured victories in three of four, including a 5-4 win over the Blackhawks on Thursday.
Sorokin accomplished 18 saves. Pulock equalized the score to 1-1 at 18:43 with a slap shot taken from the right point. Taylor Hall scored to give Chicago a 2-1 lead at 19:40 with a one-timer from the right circle after receiving a pass from Teravainen. Holmstrom equalized it 2-2 at 2:25 of the second period by scoring from a cross-crease pass by Pierre Engvall at the left post during a 2-on-1 break.
Teravainen netted a goal during a 5-on-3 power play, putting Chicago back in the lead at 3-2 with 15:19 on the clock. Bedard handled the puck in the attacking zone and set up Teravainen for a one-timer from the top of the right circle. Dobson equalized at 3-3 only 47 seconds into the third period. He received a pass at the correct moment, glided through the right circle, and faked before sliding a low shot between Soderblom’s legs. NewYork equalized with Dobson’s fourth goal just 47 seconds into the third period. Chicago contested the goaltender interference, but the decision remained unchanged. The two teams will compete once more on Tuesday evening. The Islanders travel to Carolina, while the Blackhawks welcome Washington.
Image Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
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