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Connor Bedard left a mark on his NHL debut, despite not scoring. The top pick of the 2023 NHL draft fully lived up to expectations, earning his first NHL point in the Chicago Blackhawks' 4-2 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Connor Bedard's impressive performance made him the youngest player to earn a point in a season opener since Aleksander Barkov in 2013. He also secured his place as the second-youngest player in Blackhawks history to secure a point on debut, with only Eddie Olczyk from 1984 achieving the feat at a younger age.
Right from the start, all eyes were on him as the opening face-off had Chicago's 18-year-old sensation facing his childhood idol, Sidney Crosby, the three-time Stanley Cup champion.
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Bedard delivered a dazzling performance that stole the spotlight in Chicago's memorable 4-2 comeback win over the Penguins on Tuesday night.
He recorded an assist, along with five shots on goal, and 11 shot attempts (the second-highest in an NHL debut since 2009-10) at Tristan Jarry while playing for an impressive 21 minutes and 29 seconds.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Connor Bedard couldn't hide his enthusiasm:
"Yeah, I think it just shows our mindset and I think we've seen that a lot throughout training camp. The guys want to win so bad and they're so focused on improving every day and that was kind of what we were thinking going into every period. Just get a little bit better. I thought we played great and everyone contributed. It was a lot of fun."
In a sensational comeback, the Blackhawks fought back from a 2-0 deficit, scoring four unanswered goals to clinch a thrilling victory in Pittsburgh.
Bryan Rust opened the scoring for the Penguins in the first period, with Sidney Crosby extending their lead in the second.
However, Bedard played a crucial role in setting up Ryan Donato for a goal in the middle frame, earning his first NHL point in the process.
In the third period, Cole Guttman scored an equalizer for Chicago early on.
In the final five minutes, Jason Dickinson's slot shot gave the Blackhawks their first lead of the night, while an empty-net goal from Nick Foligno secured Chicago's victory.
Chicago head coach Luke Richardson displayed confidence in the 18-year-old Bedard, refraining from holding him back.
Bedard and the Blackwings return to national TV as they face the Bruins in a Wednesday night showdown in Boston!
