Blackhawks Game #54: Connor Bedard is Back

The Chicago Blackhawks (14-36-3) take on the Pittsburgh Penguins (23-20-7) tonight at the United Center. Puck drop is at 7:30pm. The top news though? Connor Bedard is back for tonight’s game against Sidney Crosby.

Previously on Blackhawks Hockey:

The effort was a flat one in the Blackhawks 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. The loss was Chicago’s seventh straight and it was a game where the Canucks dominated almost every aspect of the game. All that kept it from a blowout was Petr Mrazek’s stellar play.

How to Watch and Listen

TV: NBC Sports Chicago
Radio: WGN 720

Scouting the Opponent & Miscellaneous Musings With Connor Bedard Back

The big news of course is that Connor Bedard returns after missing over a month’s worth of games. The Blackhawks have struggled mightily in his absence and now it remains to be seen how they respond tonight with their 18-year-old phenom back in the lineup.

But it’s also an interesting story line because Sidney Crosby and Pittsburgh Penguins come in sputtering and asking a whole ton of questions. Ironically, it was the Blackhawks who ended the Penguins playoff streak last season. Could a win tonight not only snap a seven-game losing streak, but potentially put the Penguins into sell mode?

The front and center attention for the Blackhawks tonight will be that Connor Bedard has returned, but he’s simply added another interesting storyline to what could be a very intriguing night. The Hawks are desperate to get back to winning, the Penguins are trying to figure out whether they should be buyers or sellers and the generational star who idolized Crosby returns to try and pick up where he left off before injury.

Should make for a fun night.

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