Connor Bedard's Four-Point Night Fuels Blackhawks' Comeback and Swagger Surge
CHICAGO - When Connor Bedard buried the puck in the empty Anaheim net to cap off a stunning Blackhawks comeback, he didn’t just celebrate - he let the Ducks hear about it. Bedard turned toward their bench and chirped with the kind of confidence that comes from not just winning, but dominating.
He played it cool postgame, brushing off the exchange. But make no mistake: the Ducks poked the bear, and Bedard responded like a star who’s not just here to play - he’s here to take over.
The 20-year-old phenom finished the night with two goals and two assists, powering Chicago to a 5-3 win after trailing by three in the first period. It was the kind of performance that reminded longtime fans of another electric forward who used to light up the United Center - and perhaps gave Ducks coach Joel Quenneville a bit of déjà vu from his days coaching Patrick Kane.
For current head coach Jeff Blashill, Bedard’s fire is exactly what you want from your best player.
“To be honest with you,” Blashill said, “I just don’t know any great players who aren’t hyper-competitive… They want to win their shifts. They want to win the game.
They want to win at everything they do. He’s certainly got that trait.”
That edge was on full display Sunday - and it wasn’t just about the scoreboard. Bedard’s back-and-forth with Ducks center Mason McTavish, one of his close friends and former teammates, added fuel to the fire. The two jawed throughout the game, and even after the final whistle, McTavish looked like he still wanted a piece of him.
“We’re pretty close,” Bedard said. “But that’s who he is.
He always wants to compete. I was roommates with him and teammates with him for a couple years, and everything we do, he’s trying to make it a competition.
He’s such a great player, such a good competitor. He’s a fun guy to play against.
Fun to go at it with him. I’ll probably go say hi to him right now.”
A Shift in Bedard’s Game
This wasn’t just another big night on the stat sheet. It was a sign of how Bedard’s game has evolved.
In his first two seasons, the competitiveness was there, but the ability to take over games at the NHL level wasn’t quite as consistent. That’s changing.
Sunday marked his third four-point game of the season - and this one came when the team needed it most. Down 3-0 just 10 minutes into the game, the Blackhawks could’ve folded. Instead, they clawed back, and Bedard led the charge.
He picked up a secondary assist on Chicago’s first goal, a power-play tally that started with a slick setup to Frank Nazar, whose shot was tipped in by Tyler Bertuzzi. Then came a textbook two-on-one feed to Ryan Greene for the second goal.
Bedard scored the fourth himself, undressing Ducks goalie Ville Husso with a silky deke. He sealed the win with the empty-netter.
“Every game you have to find it and try to bring that out,” Bedard said. “There’s no more motivation for one game than another, but it’s fun when we have a comeback like that and emotions are running high.”
With the four-point night, Bedard moved into a tie with Macklin Celebrini for second in the league in points (37). He’s also tied for fourth in goals (16) and tied for seventh in assists (21). That’s elite company - and he’s not just keeping pace, he’s driving the conversation.
From Collapse to Comeback
The start? Brutal.
Anaheim scored just 17 seconds in, then again at the 47-second mark. By the 10:25 mark of the first, it was 3-0 Ducks.
The United Center was stunned.
Blashill wasn’t overly concerned with the goals themselves, but he did acknowledge the emotional hit the third one delivered.
“Once we kind of got down, I thought we probably spent a little period of time shell-shocked,” he said. “They were faster than us, they were kind of stripping us of pucks. But I thought we did a fairly good job at least on the bench of avoiding frustration and just kind of staying with it.”
That patience paid off. The power-play goal late in the first gave Chicago a lifeline, and they built on it. Rather than trying to erase the deficit in one shift, they chipped away - and Bedard kept the engine running.
“I thought our guys did a pretty good job of not trying to make it up in one shift,” Blashill said. “You got to try to stay with it.
You just got to keep start playing good hockey. At that point, there’s tons of time left.”
The second period - a trouble spot for Chicago all season - flipped the game. The Blackhawks outscored the Ducks 2-0 in the middle frame, tying things up and swinging momentum hard in their favor. That’s a big deal for a team that had been outscored 29-19 in second periods before Sunday.
A Budding Rivalry?
There’s some history brewing here. With Quenneville now behind the Ducks bench and both teams loaded with young talent, this could be the start of something.
“We have a whole bunch of good young players, and they have a whole bunch of good young players,” Blashill said. “They’re obviously ahead of it right now in terms of standings, but I think that’s a team that, if we want to climb the mountain in the Western Conference, that’s a team we’re going to have to battle them for, for sure.”
Quenneville, who knows a thing or two about championship-caliber teams, offered a pointed assessment of the Blackhawks.
“They’re quick,” he said. “They can turn pucks over.
If you make them defend, they’re ordinary. You give them a lot of traction in the neutral zone and free odd-man breaks, all of a sudden they make you pay.”
Crowds Coming Back to the Madhouse
This win wasn’t just big on the ice - it capped off a strong stretch at home that’s helped reignite the fanbase. The Blackhawks came into this eight-game homestand hoping to find their footing, and they’ve done more than that. After averaging 16,806 fans in their first six home games, they’ve jumped to 19,060 over the last eight - including 19,912 on Sunday.
Early-season attendance had some wondering if the buzz was fading. But with Bedard heating up and the team showing signs of resilience, the energy is back. The Blackhawks now sit just outside the top 10 in league attendance, averaging 18,094 - not far off last season’s 18,585.
The Takeaway
This was more than just a win. It was a statement.
Bedard didn’t just put up numbers - he put his stamp on the game, both with his stick and his voice. The Blackhawks didn’t just rally - they showed they’re learning how to win the hard way.
And if Sunday night is any indication, this team - and its young superstar - are just getting started.