Crosby and the Penguins Spoil Connor Bedard’s Return
Connor Bedard made a surprise return to the lineup on Thursday night when the Chicago Blackhawks hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 2023 number one overall pick returned multiple weeks ahead of schedule after he fractured his jaw back in the beginning of January. Bedard has drawn many comparisons to Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, and ironically, Crosby spoiled Bedard’s first game back. Crosby quickly welcomed Bedard back to action with a goal 15 seconds into the game on a smooth redirection in front of the net. The Penguins would tally another goal to take a 2-0 lead after the first period.
Bedard’s smooth hands showed up in the 2nd period when he delivered a beautiful saucer pass assist to Philipp Kurashev, who buried it in the back of the net. That would be the only offensive highlight of the game for Chicago as the Penguins would score two 3rd period goals, including another one by Crosby, to cruise to a 4-1 victory. This was a big win for a Pittsburgh team that came into the game on a 3-game losing streak. The Penguins sit just five points behind the Detriot Red Wings for the last Eastern Conference Wild Card spot, and they are hoping to be able to use Thursday night’s win as a jumpstart to get them back on track.
As for Bedard and the Blackhawks, they are in the midst of an eight-game losing streak in what has been a disaster of a season altogether. They sit dead last in the NHL standings with a 14-37-3 record. But at least Blackhawks fans have Bedard back, so they can watch him develop over the season's last two months. It was a common expectation that the growth and development of Connor Bedard was one of the most important focuses for the Blackhawks this season, and they have to be more than pleased with what they have seen from him thus far. Bedard has been one of the lone bright spots for the 2023-24 Blackhawks, and with his assist last night, he surpassed Minnesota Wild rookie Brock Faber as the leader in rookie scoring with 34 points. Bedard also has the Blackhawks team lead in points despite missing the last 14 games with his jaw injury. It will be exciting to see what Bedard can individually accomplish as he returns to full health in an underwhelming season for the team.
