Connor Bedard made his voice heard during the game against the Anaheim Ducks. At one point, Bedard requested the linesman, James Tobias, to make way for the players as he felt the official was getting in the way.
"Can you guys, like, get out of the way a little bit?" Bedard requested.
Tobias responded:
"Yeah, I'm trying my best to stay out of the way. You guys are fast and I'm slow."
Bedard set a new single-game high in points with a goal and four assists. His play didn't go unnoticed by Coach Luke Richardson, who said:
"We want this feeling to continue, and we want it to be contagious. Winning can do that."
Nick Foligno said regarding Bedard:
‘‘He’s not ahead of the play; he’s not trying to cheat. You can see he’s understanding now his positioning . . . and then his natural abilities take over because of that.’’
Reflecting on his recent success, Bedard remained humble.
"I'm just trying to stick to what works. I've been fortunate the last two to get a couple, but it's only two games."
The Blackhawks' offensive has exploded of late, scoring seven goals in consecutive games for the first time since October 1991.
Connor Bedard sparks Blackhawks' offense with a goal and four assists
Connor Bedard contributed to multiple goals for the Chicago Blackhawks. He played a pivotal role in setting up Philipp Kurashev's equalizer in the second period, delivering a precise cross-ice pass to the right circle.
Bedard then extended the Blackhawks' lead late in the period, netting his 20th goal of the season with a one-timer off a cross-ice pass from Kurashev.
In the third period, Bedard assisted on Kurashev's power-play goal, tallying his 30th assist of the season. His contributions didn't stop there, as he set up Tyler Johnson's power-play goal with a pass from the crease, securing the 7-2 victory for the Blackhawks.
Andreas Athanasiou's multipoint comeback steals spotlight beside Connor Bedard
Returning from a four-month absence due to a groin injury, Andreas Athanasiou dished out two assists. Athanasiou up Ryan Donato's opening goal and MacKenzie Entwistle's third-period marker.
Coach Luke Richardson lauded Athanasiou's performance.
"His speed and his dynamic [ability] with the puck was great," Richardson said. "He kept shooting, and he was not just skating forward; he was tracking back hard. Guys were really happy, cheering for him on the bench."