He has logged at least 18 minutes and 35 seconds of ice time in his first five games. He played 19 minutes, 37 seconds against the Avalanche, the most of any Blackhawks forward and second only to defenseman Seth Jones (23 minutes, 12 seconds).
“I think he did a good job,” Jones said. “He’s had a lot of chances and he could score four or five goals. To be honest, he’s had a lot of chances in the slot and the goalkeepers don’t believe in him. He made some saves that you wouldn’t expect.
“But he’s moving his feet well and he’s making a lot of plays. You know he’s already a pro and he’s going to do what his body needs to do to keep playing games like that. There is.”
But the Avalanche did what no other team had ever done against Bedard. He held Bedard down without taking a shot on goal. Bedard took 20 shots in the first four games. Thursday was tough, sure, but it was tough for everyone in a Blackhawks uniform. Chicago is rebuilding. The University of Colorado won the Stanley Cup in 2022 and is one of the favorites to win it again.
“He’s a smart hockey player and he’s going to learn these lessons and apply them in the game,” Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said. “I think there are games like this. You know, we played a strong Toronto team and a very experienced Pittsburgh team, and it was different than this team. They’re a whole different animal. And when they move and skate, they’re powerful and can be a little paralyzing when they don’t play well.
“After the first half of the first period, we started watching the game, and I think Conor is like any other player. Just watching them play a little bit, we got caught. That was it. He was one of 20 of us tonight. This is some of the things he probably saw up close and personal tonight, like (Nathan) McKinnon and (Kale) ) It’s great to take Makar and see how he gets there and how he can reflect that on his game.”
Bedard went through a lot in the first few days of his busy career. Those around him are confident he will learn from it all.
“There are things all great players can do.” [be] “I’m not humbled by this league, but it’s a tough league,” Foligno said. “Every team has great players and every NHL player deserves to be in the NHL. So you guys are getting the best every night, and I think he’s learning that. , and I think a lot of our young players are learning that – you’ve got to bring it too, and you’ve got to figure out how to be your best every night. He did a great job.”
