"Crosby went through a lot of that" - Blackhawks HC Anders Sorensen gets brutally honest about Connor Bedard's back-to-back misconduct penalties

It was a frustrating four-game road trip for Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard. His team went winless, going 0-3-1, while he has held to just one point (one assist), and had a -4 rating during that stretch.

His frustrations boiled over throughout the final two games of the trip. Bedard received 10-minute misconduct penalties in San Jose for abuse of officials and then in Vancouver for his involvement in a late-game scrum.

Blackhawks interim head coach Anders Sorensen was asked about the misconduct penalties and gave a passionate response defending his young star. Beat reporter Ben Pope, who writes for the Chicago Sun-Times, shared his answer on X (formerly Twitter).

"Overall, I think he's very mature for being 19, especially with the amount of spotlight that's on him constantly. I'm really impressed with how he handles it," Sorensen said.

"It's human nature to get to some points that he's gotten over the last couple games. Last game, it was a scrum — I'm kinda [like], 'Good for him. He stuck his nose in there and stayed in there.' We discount that one. The one in San Jose, it's frustration [in the] heat of the moment as a young player.

The coach continued:

"I remember Sidney Crosby went through a lot of that. I remember Peter Forsberg came into the league mild-mannered off the ice, but on the ice, it happens, right? They want to win. They want to be successful."

Sidney Crosby went on to mature and grow into one of the best players and leaders in sports. The Blackhawks and their fans will hope this is all just a part of the learning process for Connor Bedard, who we must remember is only 19 years old.

Connor Bedard has just one goal in his last 13 games

Connor Bedard's lack of production has certainly factored into his emotions getting the best of him in recent weeks.

The 2023 first-overall draft pick has registered only four points (one goal, three assists) in his past 13 games played. His season totals now stand at 52 points (17 goals, 35 assists) in 67 games. He's on a full season pace of 64 points, which is a 10 point drop off from his 74-point full season pace he produced at in his rookie year.

Chicago is poised to finish at the bottom of the NHL standings once again in 2024-25. Acquiring another elite player in the draft along with potentially making splashes in free agency is what Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks need.

Bedard will look to get things going on Tuesday night when the Blackhawks host the Seattle Kraken. The puck drops at 8:30 p.m. EDT at United Center.