10 observations: Connor Bedard vs. Connor McDavid lives up to hype as Blackhawks lose to Oilers originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich
The Chicago Blackhawks fell to the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 on Tuesday at Rogers Place in the Battle of Connors.
Here are 10 observations from the loss:
1. This matchup was all about Connor Bedard vs. Connor McDavid. The two young stars squared off for the first time in their careers, and it certainly lived up to the hype. They both flashed throughout the night. Very much looking forward to the battles these two will have for the next decade-plus.
2. Bedard flexed his muscles first by scoring his 12th goal of the season just 3:21 into the game. It was a ridiculous shot, and the stretch pass by Alex Vlasic was just as beautiful. Bedard also extended his road point streak to 10 games.
3. McDavid is still very much the best player in the world. He recorded two primary assists to extend his point streak to 10 games and easily could’ve had more. He was playing through an injury earlier in the season and appears to be healthy again. What a special player he is to watch. He made something happen almost every shift.
4. Seth Jones did not make the trip to Edmonton and is being evaluated back in Chicago for an upper-body injury he suffered late in Sunday’s game vs. Washington. A massive loss for the Blackhawks, who are also still without Kevin Korchinski (family matter) and Jarred Tinordi (concussion protocol). You don’t really realize how important he is to the back end until he’s not out there.
5. Four of Chicago’s six defensemen in this game were full-time AHL players last season: Louis Crevier, Isaak Phillips, Filip Roos and Alex Vlasic. It was a tall task for them against a red-hot Oilers team, but they held their own pretty well all things considered. Roos left midway through the first period after blocking a shot off his hand but he returned in the second period.
6. The Blackhawks were right there with the Oilers, and then Nikita Zaitsev accidentally redirected the puck into his own net towards the latter stages of the second period to go down 3-1. Such an unfortunate break, and it felt like a deflating moment.
7. When Chicago’s fourth line of MacKenzie Entwistle, Cole Guttman and Lukas Reichel was on the ice together at even strength, the Oilers led 7-0 in scoring chances, per Natural Stat Trick. That trio didn’t see a ton of ice time and struggled in the minutes they did play.
8. Jason Dickinson wore the third “A” with Jones out. He’s having a breakout season offensively, but he’s also been reliable in the faceoff circle and on the penalty kill. No surprise he’s stepping into more of a leadership role.
9. The Oilers were my preseason pick to win the Stanley Cup. I’m sticking with it. When they’re clicking on all cylinders, they’re as tough of a team to beat as there is in the NHL.
10. Boris Katchouk was placed on waivers on Monday, and he cleared on Tuesday afternoon. The Blackhawks sent him to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL, where he can get consistent playing time.
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