Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard has NHL coming-out party: ‘He’s starting to really figure it out’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
TAMPA BAY — It was only a matter of time before Connor Bedard had his NHL coming-out party. It took 12 games, but it finally happened.
The 2023 No. 1 overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks erupted for a four-point outing in Thursday’s 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday at Amalie Arena, three of which came in the first period. He scored two goals and added two primary assists for his first multi-point game in the NHL.
A humble Bedard, of course, did not take all the credit.
“All the points I felt the other guys did great things and I got to benefit,” Bedard said. “It’s obviously nice getting on the scoresheet, but there’s a lot that goes into it.”
He’s technically not wrong. Nick Foligno had three assists for his first three-point game since Oct. 9, 2018, and his other linemate Philipp Kurashev also had two assists, the first of which was a nifty pass on Bedard’s goal.
But Bedard drove the offense for most of the night. He was relentless, which was evident on his first goal when he out-muscled 6-foot-7 Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Victor Hedman for the tap-in.
“He created the whole first goal,” Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said. “He was on the defenseman hard. He’s got good stick skills. He’s not in there slashing sticks, he’s in there lifting sticks and disrupting things, and he turned the puck over and came back and got the goal, so that was great. I think that good things happen when you play hard and the right way.”
It showed again on his second goal when Bedard stripped former Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov in the neutral zone that immediately led to the 2-on-1 chance.
“He wanted that puck and he went and got it tonight,” Richardson said. “He did a lot of right things tonight. He’s the type of guy that’s never going to be satisfied. We love that kind of attitude around here and just let him keep growing and getting better.”
Kevin Korchinski, who scored his first career NHL goal in the win, played with Bedard at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship for Team Canada. This wasn’t the first time he’s seen a performance like this from him, and it most certainly won’t be the last.
“He had those big breakout games there,” Korchinski said. “I think having a game like this boosts your confidence. Just kind of a testament to what kind of player he is and what he can do at this level. It’s a great game from him and I bet you he’s pretty happy.”
Bedard had offensive explosions on a regular basis in juniors. He wasn’t really sure whether he was getting closer to having one like this soon in the NHL, but he was hopeful that it would if he focused on the process and not the results.
“You never know,” Bedard said. “It’s just kind of sticking with it. I felt like there were games I might have created more than this and had zero points. It’s just kind of how things go sometimes. But obviously it feels good to be on that scoresheet.”
With the four-point outing, Bedard suddenly has 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 12 games with the Blackhawks, which leads the team. He’s knocking on the door of a point-per-game average. And he might just be getting warmed up.
“Instead of him kind of feeling out the game — he’s new to the league — he’s been here for a dozen games now, he’s starting to really figure it out and use his skill to the best of his ability,” Richardson said. “And it paid off for him and us tonight.”
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