Blackhawks beat Lightning on Four Point Game from Connor Bedard

The Chicago Blackhawks had the #1 pick in the 2023 NHL draft, and not surprisingly, selected the top prospect available. That would be 18 year old center Connor Bedard. All he did was score 71 goals and had 72 assists—143 points—in 57 games for Regina of the Western Hockey League, a Major Junior hockey league. Bedard was deemed NHL ready by the rebuilding Blackhawks and was on Chicago’s opening day roster.

There’s been an enormous amount of hype and expectations surrounding Bedard, and all indications are that he’s living up to it. He got an assist in Chicago’s 4-2 opening night win at Pittsburgh October 10th, a game that was nationally televised. He scored his first NHL goal the next night at Boston. Then in the Blackhawks’ 12th game of the season on November 9th, Bedard had the best night of his brief career, scoring two goals and adding two assists for a four point night in Chicago’s 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Tampa. He has seven goals and four assists through 12 games.

https://youtu.be/OuSECdJ6egI

Chicago improved to 5-7-0 on the season with the win. The Blackhawks are in action next on November 12th, when they play at the Florida Panthers. The teams met in Chicago on November 4th, with the Blackhawks winning 5-2. Bedard scored a goal in that game.