"Just a little salt in the wound": Blackhawks HC makes his feelings known about Connor Bedard's botched dump-in attempt that sealed loss to Canucks

Chicago Blackhawks rising star Connor Bedard had a homecoming on Saturday as his club visited the Vancouver Canucks. However, the homecoming was spoiled as the Blackhawks lost to the Canucks 4–1.

Unfortunately, the loss wasn’t the only thing that stung on Saturday. In particular, a blunder by Connor Bedard compounded the loss by Chicago.

Late in the game, with the Canucks leading 2–1, Bedard had a chance to dump the puck into the Vancouver zone. However, Bedard fanned on the shot, leading to a steal by J.T. Miller. Miller picked up the puck and fired it down the ice for an easy empty-netter.

Following the game, Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said:

“I’m sure that was probably a blow. He just missed the puck and the empty net, that’s just a little bit of salt in the wound I think coming home for his first game here.”

The replay showed a despondent Bedard sitting on the bench with his head down. However, Bedard will have plenty of opportunities to atone. Richardson added:

“It happens. He’s trying to do the right thing and get in deep, and he just missed the puck. That just kind of compounds everything but we’ll talk to him and support him.”

Indeed, the support from his coach and teammates should go a long way toward helping Bedard recover his confidence as he moves forward with his NHL career.

Connor Bedard’s scoring slump continues

Bedard’s late-game blunder added to the criticism stemming from his scoring slump. Bedard has two points in his last eight games after notching 11 in his first nine this season.

The sudden drop in Bedard’s performance has left Blackhawks fans scratching their heads. There doesn’t seem to be a definitive answer. Nevertheless, Bedard explained his point of view on the matter. The Hockey News quoted Bedard as saying:

"Definitely not playing great the last little bit, so I'll try to be better."

Thus far, trying “to be better” hasn’t yielded the results fans expect. The Blackhawks' latest defeat put the club’s overall scoring slump into perspective. Bedard and his teammates have been unable to put the puck in the net, leading to speculation about changes that could be made.

One of those changes was making former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall a healthy scratch. Other changes include placing Bedard on a line with captain Nick Foligno and Lukas Reichel as Richardson looks to shake things up.

It seems like it’s only a matter of time before Bedard busts out of his slump. However, time is running out for the Blackhawks. They are currently tied for last place in the Central Division. Something will need to change for Bedard and the Blackhawks to climb out of the cellar. Otherwise, it could be another lottery-pick season in the Windy City.