He kept right on pumping pucks at Jarry, his No. He recorded the first shot of his career just over six minutes in on a one-timer with Chicago on the power play. While he didn't win that opening faceoff - he didn't win many, going just 2 for 13 on draws - once the puck was in motion, Bedard was frequently a blur. He joked during the morning skate that he slept “like a baby.' He sprinted onto the ice with fellow Blackhawks rookie Kevin Korchinski during warmups, the two teenagers having the rink to themselves momentarily as is tradition for players making their NHL debuts.īedard was fidgety during the national anthem, his legs in constant motion, eager to get a moment he'd been dreaming about since he was a phenom growing up in British Columbia, Canada. Like Crosby, Bedard seems at ease with the attention that has followed him from childhood prodigy to the NHL. His arrival in Chicago has given the beleaguered franchise a much-needed jolt even though there almost certainly will be some growing pains on a team that's missed the playoffs five of the last six seasons as the dynasty that won three Stanley Cups between 2010-15 faded. 'There are certainly some things we can do better, be more detailed defensively.”īedard's arrival in the NHL had been anticipated for years, much like Crosby's when the Penguins grabbed him with the top overall selection in 2005, all of 13 days after Bedard was born. “First game, I don’t think anybody is firing on all cylinders at this point,' Crosby said. Jarry made 32 saves but the Penguins let a lead slip away late, a problem that plagued them at times last season. Pittsburgh retooled over the summer, including adding three-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson.įireworks, however, were hard to come by for the NHL's oldest team. Petr Mrazek stopped 38 shots for the Blackhawks.Ĭrosby and Bryan Rust scored for the Penguins, who had their run of 16 consecutive playoff appearances end last spring thanks in part to a late-season pratfall against the Blackhawks.

“I feel like that was a complete game,” Dickinson said. Nick Foligno’s empty-netter with 1:33 to go sent most of the sellout crowd that came to watch one of the NHL’s brightest stars take on one of its newest home. Jason Dickinson gave Chicago the lead with 4:31 remaining. The Blackhawks roared back behind a goal from Ryan Donato - with a secondary assist from Bedard - in the second period and Cole Guttman’s goal midway through the third. You can’t even look at the puck one second, because he’s so fast.”Ĭhicago trailed 2-0 when Crosby began his 19th season by scoring his 551st career goal, a shot into an open net off a pass from Jake Guentzel 11:56 into the second period. Penguins defenseman Kris Letang gave Bedard a couple of “welcome to the NHL hits,' not in an attempt to send a message but because at times it was the only way to keep up with Bedard. There’s obviously things I can get better at.

“I think, for me, it’s just trying to get better every shift, every game,” Bedard said.

The top pick in the draft picked up an assist and fired five shots at Tristan Jarry while playing 21:29, hardly looking intimidated by the stage, the stakes or pretty much anything else. Playing with a charismatic fearlessness, Bedard dazzled in Chicago's 4-2 comeback win over Crosby and the Penguins on Tuesday night. Then the puck dropped, and the instincts that have made the 18-year-old Bedard the NHL's next big thing kicked in. That really was a sellout crowd pulling cameras out trying to capture the meeting of two generational talents at opposite ends of their careers. That really was referee Kelly Sutherland welcoming him to the NHL on national television. That really was Sidney Crosby within arm's reach. PITTSBURGH - Connor Bedard skated into the faceoff circle, saw one of his idols standing across from him and tried to soak in the moment. NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks Connor Bedard picks up an assist in his NHL debut as the Blackhawks rally past Crosby, Penguins 4-2

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