Connor Bedard Falls Deeper into Slump in Blackhawks’ Loss to Canucks

A Tough Night in Vancouver

Connor Bedard’s slump deepened to a new level Saturday in his much-anticipated homecoming game. His most — and really only — memorable play was a whiffed dump-in attempt at the red line that led to a game-sealing empty-net goal seconds later.

A Disappointing Performance

The Canucks added another meaningless empty-netter shortly after to seal a 4-1 win, marking their ninth consecutive victory over the Hawks and their 12th in the two teams’ last 13 meetings dating back to 2020. Bedard could only drop and shake his head after the whiff, his confidence having seemingly hit its lowest point in his NHL career to date in the very arena where he grew up dreaming of playing.

A Coach’s Perspective

“That’s just a little bit of salt in the wound…but I saw the guys patting him on the back,” coach Luke Richardson said. “He’s maybe holding onto the puck a little too long and looking for something better. We try to encourage him to shoot the puck. He’s an elusive shooter. If we can get him skating and shooting the puck on the fly, I think that’s when he’s the most dangerous.”

A Dry Spell for the Hawks

The Hawks’ offense is as dry as the Canadian prairies right now; they’ve scored just one regulation goal in five consecutive games. It was Ilya Mikheyev, celebrating his own less-notable Vancouver homecoming after getting traded from the Canucks to the Hawks last summer, who scored that lone goal Saturday off a Nick Foligno rebound.

A Game That Got Away

That marker gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead after a well-played first period, but their game disintegrated following the intermission. The Canucks tied the game on an Elias Pettersson goal during a second period in which they outshot the Hawks 14-7, then claimed the lead for good on an Erik Brannstrom goal with 15:35 to play.

A Slump That Won’t End

Bedard was credited with just two shot attempts, one on goal, in 16:48 of ice time. His goal drought extended to nine consecutive games and his point drought to three consecutive games. The Canucks mostly matched up Pettersson against him, and during Pettersson and Bedard’s ice time together, the Canucks generated a whopping 16-1 advantage in shot attempts (and 7-0 edge in shots on goal).

A Lack of Offense

The Hawks have no chance of generating enough offense to survive when Bedard is this cold. “I think our quality scoring chances were up tonight,” Richardson said. “Unfortunately, [we] just can’t find the back of the net. [There’s a] lack of drawing penalties, too.”

A Tough Road Ahead

In Seth Jones’ injury absence, Connor Murphy led the team with 25:04 of ice time, followed closely by Alex Vlasic — who had an unusually inconsistent night — at 23:33. “It’s getting frustrating,” Vlasic said. “It’s pretty tiring to rely on one goal to win against a good team.”

Conclusion

Connor Bedard’s slump is taking a toll on the Blackhawks, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult for them to generate enough offense to win games. The team needs to find a way to get Bedard going, or they risk falling further behind in the standings.

FAQs

* What is Connor Bedard’s current goal drought?
+ Nine consecutive games
* How many goals has the Blackhawks scored in their last five games?
+ One regulation goal
* Who led the team in ice time on Saturday?
+ Connor Murphy (25:04)