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For a brief moment Saturday, Connor Bedard looked like his usual self.<\/p>\n
The struggling Blackhawks star darted in on a power play and ripped a hard, well-placed shot that beat Flyers goalie Aleksei Kolosov, rang off the post and nearly bounced in off Kolosov\u2019s back.<\/p>\n
It was the kind of play Bedard made almost every night last season. It also resembled his October form earlier this season, when he was playing fairly well but just not getting much luck. If he kept it up Saturday, the outcome might\u2019ve been different.<\/p>\n
Tentativeness crept back into Bedard\u2019s game as the afternoon progressed, however, and he yet again finished with zero shots on goal \u2014 albeit on six attempts \u2014 as the Hawks lost to the Flyers 3-2 in overtime after blowing a two-goal lead.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just spent too much time in our [defensive] zone,\u201d coach Luke Richardson told reporters in Philadelphia. \u201cOur goalie was great all game, but just a couple breakdowns on faceoffs in the \u2018D’-zone [cost us]. [There was] a little bit of panic in our game when we got the puck in the \u2018D’-zone. We were not making plays; we were just flipping it out and not getting through that neutral zone.\u201d<\/p>\n
On a third-period rush, Bedard\u2019s lagging confidence was evident when opted to try a cross-ice pass with a very low probability of success instead of testing Kolosov with his one-of-a-kind shot.<\/p>\n
And on two offensive-zone entries to begin overtime, Bedard turned the puck once and missed the net with a shot the second time. That miss led Hawks defenseman Alex Vlasic to take a holding penalty, and the Flyers converted the ensuing power play.<\/p>\n
Richardson \u2014 as has become a habit \u2014 switched Bedard\u2019s linemates halfway through the game, moving him away from Jason Dickinson and Joey Anderson\u2019s checking line and putting him back at center between Taylor Hall and Teuvo Teravainen. Playing him with Teravainen makes a lot more sense than with Anderson, but it\u2019s not surprising that the new trio didn\u2019t click immediately, considering how little time they\u2019ve had to build chemistry.<\/p>\n
Bedard, whose goal drought extended to 12 straight games, has now gone consecutive games with zero shots on goal for the first time in his young career; he had previously been held without only five times in 87 games. He did unleash one tight-angle shot late in the second period that looked on-goal but was ruled not.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, he has tallied only six shots on goal in his last seven games combined, and opponents have outshot the Hawks 58-28 cumulatively during his five-on-five ice time. In other words, he has been thoroughly stifled for multiple weeks now.<\/p>\n
Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov buried the overtime winner after Nick Foligno, who was on the ice for all three Flyers goals, lost coverage on the penalty kill. Back in the third period, the Flyers had scored twice in less than three minutes to tie the game.<\/p>\n
It was fitting \u2014 and painful \u2014 that Michkov scored the winner, considering how frequently he and Bedard will be compared throughout their careers. They were the two most-discussed prospects in the 2023 draft class, and off the ice, they\u2019re friends and text semi-regularly.<\/p>\n
Michkov fell to the Flyers\u2019 seventh pick due to concerns he might stay in Russia for years, but the Flyers ended up getting him into North America with ease, and he has rewarded them with 16 points in his first 19 NHL games.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s funny: When you\u2019re playing against people, you try to create a rivalry, but usually you\u2019re friends and you want to see that guy succeed,\u201d Bedard had said Friday. \u201cI\u2019m always rooting for [Michkov]. He\u2019s a fun guy to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lukas Reichel (two points) and Petr Mrazek (34 saves, including several miraculous ones) were the lone bright spots for the Hawks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After the Hawks’ 3-2 overtime loss Saturday in Philadelphia, Bedard has now posted consecutive games with zero shots on goal for the first time in his young career.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4083,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,10,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chicago-blackhawks","category-nfl","category-san-francisco-49ers"],"yoast_head":"\n