Connor Bedard was back in the Chicago Blackhawks lineup on Tuesday and made it count right away, helping set up a goal in a 5-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins at United Center. It was his first game of the season after shoulder surgery, and Chicago finally had its top player back after six missed games.
The return matters because Bedard had been expected to stay out until November, which made his appearance Tuesday a quicker turnaround than the original timeline suggested. He had been skating with the team in a noncontact jersey since Oct. 5 and logged his first two full practices on Sunday and Monday, but the game still showed he was shaking off rust even as he contributed to the win.
Bedard said it felt good to be back, and that the energy around him and his line was strong. That line helped Chicago move past a two-game skid, with Teuvo Teravainen scoring twice and adding an assist, Roman Kantserov scoring twice, and Spencer Knight stopping 24 shots. The Blackhawks improved to 2-5-0, a needed step after a start that had left little margin for error.
The game also carried a few other markers that showed how much was happening around Bedard’s return. Patrick Kane collected his 894th career assist, tying Phil Housley for the all-time lead among American-born players, while Sidney Crosby scored his first two goals of the season for Pittsburgh. Sergei Murashov made 15 saves for the Penguins, and Erik Karlsson had two assists, but Chicago kept control long enough for Teravainen to score the winner at 15:42 of the third period and Tyler Bertuzzi to seal it into an empty net at 19:50.
Jeff Blashill said Bedard played pretty well, though he also noted there were moments that looked a little rusty, which is the part Chicago will watch next. The quick comeback answered one question about availability; the next one is how fast Bedard gets back to his best form after missing the first six games, because for the Blackhawks, the difference between simply having him in the lineup and having him fully himself is still the difference that matters most.
