Connor Bedard Dances and Dazzles Despite Loss to Washington

Take your pick of a Connor Bedard moment during the Blackhawks 4-1 loss Saturday night. Was it dancing between two Washington Capitals, pulling the puck back and forth as if it were on a yo-yo? Perhaps it was his nearly three-minute long shift at the end of the game where he looked to get even better as he led another rush down the ice.

Whether his wrist shot was sending Capitals to the ice writhing in pain, or he was setting up chance after chance with Washington skaters chasing him, Bedard displayed the talent that should set him apart as one of the game’s finest players down someday. By the final horn, Bedard had nearly 22 minutes on the ice (21:43), 16 shot attempts, and a whole lot of chances that didn’t make it into the net.

But at some point, they will.

Connor Bedard draws a bunch of wows from the Washington crowd. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/ETo5SwrA2Z

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 10, 2024

Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks Eventually Got Back on Track

Bedard was flying all night long, but it was blunted more by Washington’s onslaught of goals in the first period. The Hawks looked frazzled, needing a disallowed goal to slow the concerning trend of pucks in the back of their net.

By the end of the game, though, it was the Capitals who looked relieved, thankful that there wasn’t any additional time to see what more havoc Bedard could wreak upon them.

He’ll be the first to deflect it, while also bemoaning the fact that the team lost. It’s as much of his makeup as is fooling unsuspecting players into biting on a toe drag before he blows past them.

But it was another reminder of just how special of a player Bedard is for the Blackhawks. The results will follow in time. So too will his stats.

Now imagine if they win the draft lottery again and take Macklin Celebrini.

Somewhere, a couple Capitals just winced at the thought.

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