Hours before Saturday’s matinee against the Ottawa Senators at the United Center, coach Luke Richardson ruminated on the intangible juju that Connor Bedard seems to sprinkle on the Chicago Blackhawks by his mere presence.
Richardson compared it to the influence Sidney Crosby has on the Pittsburgh Penguins and Connor McDavid on the Edmonton Oilers.
“Connor’s got that effect, not just with the fans but obviously in the game itself,” Richardson said. “We know what he can do and just one game back (from a jaw injury Thursday). He (got the) dust off in the first period and in the second period he was pretty explosive.
”A few other bounces could’ve gone his way, he could’ve had a bigger night.”
The “Connor Effect” didn’t need every bounce to go its way, but he made enough of the ones he got to reverse the fortunes of a Hawks team that has been scuffling badly lately.
Bedard’s second-period goal sparked the Hawks’ 3-2 comeback victory against the Senators and snapped a season-high eight-game winless streak.
“Yeah, that was a pretty bad shot,” Bedard said. “But it counts.”
“Yeah, that was a pretty bad shot.”
—Connor Bedard on his goal pic.twitter.com/bVOASfcB00
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) February 17, 2024
Said Richardson after the game: “He’s just driven. Loves to play, loves to score and help the team in that way.”
Returning after a 14-game absence from jaw surgery, Bedard hasn’t missed a beat. He had an assist Thursday against the Penguins and had a goal and an assist Saturday.
“It’s great,” Bedard said. “Especially getting back and being at home for a couple games and getting to feel that energy and stuff, it’s awesome. To get a win, it’s been a long time for myself.
Bedard last tasted victory Dec. 27 against the Winnipeg Jets.
“We were on a (six)-game losing streak when I was playing … and it’s hard watching when we’re losing,” he said. “So it feels good for all of us to get that.”
Saturday’s victory also extended the Hawks’ winning streak against the Senators to 11 games.
The Hawks got the early jump, with Bedard and Kurashev setting up Nick Foligno for the opening goal with 6 minutes, 31 seconds left in the first period.—
But at 15:57, that line got greedy in the offensive zone, and the Senators made them pay on the other end, catching Kevin Korchinski in a two-on-one rush. Tim Stützle finished Claude Giroux’s backdoor pass to tie it 1-1.
The Hawks penalty kill had shut out opponents’ power plays in four straight games but gave up one to Jakob Chychrun in the second period. But the Hawks answered with Bedard’s goal off a counterattack.
In the third period, Bedard nearly put up the go-ahead goal with some forehand-backhand trickery, but the Senators bench challenged and the Hawks were ruled offside.
Jason Dickinson did the honors instead.
The Hawks forward somehow got a sturdy stick on the puck out of a mad scramble in the crease, falling to the ice as he punched in the winner with 1:52 left in the game.
“It’s definitely big. Helps morale,” Dickinson said. “The past couple games we weren’t satisfied with our 60-minute effort and tonight we scored with under two to go.
“Kind of touch-and-go at times, but we stuck with it for the whole 60.”
Added Bedard: “We felt pretty good going (into the third) and with the tie game and Mráz (goalie Petr Mrázek) playing well. We just needed the one and we got it, so it was a good feeling.”
Mrázek faced 42 shots and made 40 saves.
“A lot of shots were coming from the blue line and a lot of pucks I could see,” he said. “So it’s always nice when you get some action.”
