The Chicago Blackhawks are searching for a spark from their star forward Connor Bedard as he continues to struggle with consistency since returning from a shoulder injury.
Bedard has been held scoreless against goaltenders for eight games, and his production this month is meager, with just one goal – an empty-netter – and three assists in 39 appearances. This stark contrast to his impressive play before the injury, where he scored 19 goals and 25 assists in 31 games.
Coach Jeff Blashill acknowledges that Bedard's return has been affected by inconsistency on his lines, stating, "When you're out a long time, it's hard to get your mojo back sometimes." The coach also notes that Bedard had a strong start to his second stint in the league when he returned from a broken jaw in February of his rookie season.
However, the recent sickness that swept through the Hawks' roster has hindered Bedard's progress. His last game against the Lightning was particularly telling, as he failed to register a single shot on goal – a rare occurrence for him this season. Even though he recorded three shots on goal against the Panthers, none of them were high-danger.
Bedard himself admits that some games will be better than others, "No matter what you go through, [there will be] games where you feel good with the puck or not good with the puck, and that's just part of it." He has averaged only 3.6 scoring chances per minute since returning, a far cry from his pre-injury numbers.
Furthermore, Bedard is still dealing with some off-ice issues, such as committing turnovers and bobbling the puck more often than usual. However, he seemed sharper in this regard during their recent win over the Jets.
The constant shuffling of Bedard's linemates has also been a challenge for him. Coach Blashill admits to "probably over-searching" while trying to find the right combination but committed to sticking with one trio again Tuesday against the Wild.
It's worth noting that Bedard is still in need of someone to take faceoffs for him, and the recent power-play woes have also hindered his production. The team will likely have to make some adjustments on both sides of the ice to get Bedard back on track.
Bedard has been held scoreless against goaltenders for eight games, and his production this month is meager, with just one goal – an empty-netter – and three assists in 39 appearances. This stark contrast to his impressive play before the injury, where he scored 19 goals and 25 assists in 31 games.
Coach Jeff Blashill acknowledges that Bedard's return has been affected by inconsistency on his lines, stating, "When you're out a long time, it's hard to get your mojo back sometimes." The coach also notes that Bedard had a strong start to his second stint in the league when he returned from a broken jaw in February of his rookie season.
However, the recent sickness that swept through the Hawks' roster has hindered Bedard's progress. His last game against the Lightning was particularly telling, as he failed to register a single shot on goal – a rare occurrence for him this season. Even though he recorded three shots on goal against the Panthers, none of them were high-danger.
Bedard himself admits that some games will be better than others, "No matter what you go through, [there will be] games where you feel good with the puck or not good with the puck, and that's just part of it." He has averaged only 3.6 scoring chances per minute since returning, a far cry from his pre-injury numbers.
Furthermore, Bedard is still dealing with some off-ice issues, such as committing turnovers and bobbling the puck more often than usual. However, he seemed sharper in this regard during their recent win over the Jets.
The constant shuffling of Bedard's linemates has also been a challenge for him. Coach Blashill admits to "probably over-searching" while trying to find the right combination but committed to sticking with one trio again Tuesday against the Wild.
It's worth noting that Bedard is still in need of someone to take faceoffs for him, and the recent power-play woes have also hindered his production. The team will likely have to make some adjustments on both sides of the ice to get Bedard back on track.
Bedard's struggles are real! Interesting how he went from a goal machine to a zero, it's like his mojo has been lost since returning from that shoulder injury 
. I mean, 3.6 scoring chances per minute is super low, even for a superstar player 
. And yeah, the constant shuffling of his linemates isn't helping 
. Bedard needs some consistency and a solid support system to get him going again 
. It's like he said, some games are gonna be better than others, but the team needs to find that spark ASAP 
!
. And yeah, the team's power-play woes are no joke... it feels like they're tryin' to make it up for lost time every shift 
u can tell he's still tryin to find his rhythm but its def hard when u're out for so long coach blashill is on point tho in sayin it takes time 2 get the mojo back but they gotta help him out more w/ the shuffling of linemates & gettin a faceoff guy 4 him ASAP 
. One minute you're lighting it up, and the next you're struggling to even take a shot 
. I get what Coach Blashill is saying about getting your mojo back after being out for so long, but it seems like they're still finding their rhythm 
. And yeah, having some off-ice issues isn't helping 
. Maybe a change or two won't hurt 
...
... the team needs to make some adjustments on both D and faceoffs for him tho 
, and those power-play woes are defo affecting his production 
Still, I'm all for giving Bedard another chance 
. The team needs him and he's got this! 
8 games without a goal is crazy! i feel him though, getting your mojo back takes time esp after a long injury . his recent sickness didn't help either 
. but he's still working hard and seems to be getting sharper on the ice...fingers crossed for him!! 
. I think it's fair to say that his return from injury has been affected by the team's shuffling around with linemates – it's hard for him to get into a rhythm when everything else is changing around him 
. But at the same time, he can't just blame that on everyone else; he needs to find ways to contribute even when he's not feeling 100% 
. And I think the team needs to make some adjustments, like finding someone to take faceoffs for him and tweaking their power-play strategy 
.
️.
. I mean, can't we just stick with what works? This Connor Bedard kid is a great player and all, but does he really need 8 games without scoring against goaltenders to "get his mojo back"? 
I mean, what's going on there? It's not like it's a new technology or anything. Just some guys trying to figure out how to work together. 
gotta say though, Coach Blashill is being super honest about it 
and acknowledging that Bedard needs some time to get his mojo back 
. He's still averaging way lower scoring chances per minute than before the injury 
which is worrying 
but on the bright side, he seemed sharper in their recent win over the Jets 
hope they can find a solution and get him firing again 
. He was doing so well before he got hurt and now it's like he's lost his touch 
. Bedard himself is pretty down about it though, saying that some games will be better than others and that's just part of being a pro 
. The team needs to give him time and support, but also make some adjustments to get him back to his old self 
.
. Let's give him another chance, he'll get back there! 
. The coach is right, when you're out for a while, it takes time to get your mojo back, but Bedard needs to find that spark sooner rather than later 
. The thing is, he just needs some consistency with his lines - it can't be too hard to find that spark 
. Maybe the team should look into that instead of shuffling his linemates all over again 
. Still got faith in Bedard though - he's always been a top-notch player 
.