10 observations: Connor Bedard explodes for 4 points in Blackhawks’ win over Tampa Bay originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
TAMPA BAY — The Chicago Blackhawks bounced back with an impressive 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday at Amalie Arena thanks to a big night from their rookie phenom.
Here are 10 observations from the win:
1. Connor Bedard had himself an absolute day. He recorded four points — three of which came in the first period — after scoring two goals and adding a pair of primary assists. It was his first multi-point game of his NHL career, and he became the youngest player with a four-point outing since Bep Guidolin in 1944.
2. Bedard’s linemates Nick Foligno and Philipp Kurashev deserve some love, too. Foligno had three assists in the first period for his first three-plus-point game since Oct. 9, 2018. And how about the pass by Kurashev on Bedard’s first goal. Nifty.
3. It probably wasn’t how he was expecting it, but Kevin Korchinski scored his first career NHL goal in the first period. It looked like he was looking for MacKenzie Entwistle or Corey Perry at the doorstep but the puck went off a Lightning skate and in. Hey, they don’t ask how. It counts, and it’s his first in a Chicago sweater.
4. I know it feels like a while ago, but this was the first game for the Blackhawks since their players-only meeting after Sunday’s game against New Jersey. They continue to bounce back from tough losses, and this was another example of that.
5. Perry had a warm welcome back from Tampa Bay, which started at morning skate when his former Lightning teammates came to say hi to him at the bench. He received a touching tribute during the first TV timeout and got a nice ovation. And then he went out and scored a goal, a tap-in from Bedard.
6. Taylor Raddysh and his older brother Darren — who played two seasons in Rockford from 2017-19 — squared off for the first time in their NHL careers, and their mom just so happened to be in attendance for it because of the Blackhawks’ Moms trip. Memorable night for the Raddysh family.
7. Petr Mrazek made some big stops in this game that might have flown under the radar because of the offensive explosion. His strong season continues.
8. The Blackhawks lost several players to injuries. Jarred Tinordi left after the first period and did not return while Andreas Athanasiou was ruled out at the start of the third period after going to the locker room late in the second. And then Taylor Hall suffered what appeared to be a right leg injury late in the third period. He was in some serious pain and it didn’t look good. Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson did not have much of an update on the injured players after the game, although he did say Hall was walking around and looked better in the dressing room.
9. Seth Jones logged almost 32 minutes of ice time, which led all skaters. He was seemingly out there every other shift. By the way, his slashing penalty in the first period that led to Tampa Bay’s first goal on the power play was a weak call.
10. Lukas Reichel’s line was not very noticeable. He mostly went up against Anthony Cirelli, who’s as good of a shutdown center as there is in the NHL.
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