What a comeback! The Chicago Blackhawks pulled off a thrilling rally, storming back from a three-goal deficit to stun the Anaheim Ducks 5-3 — and the spark was none other than Connor Bedard. The rookie phenom not only scored twice in the third period but also tallied two assists, proving once again why the hype around him is completely justified. But here’s where it gets even more dramatic — the momentum shift happened right after a goalie change and a crucial Anaheim mistake.
Bedard gave Chicago its first lead of the night at 9:55 of the third period. After Anaheim forward Alex Killorn mishandled the puck near the crease, Bedard pounced, collecting the loose puck and firing it past Ville Husso, who had just stepped in between the pipes 46 seconds earlier. Husso replaced Petr Mrazek, who exited the game with a suspected injury after reaching awkwardly for the puck. To seal the deal, Bedard buried an empty-netter at 18:05, bringing the final score to 5-3.
Tyler Bertuzzi, Ryan Greene, and Colton Dach also found the back of the net for Chicago (11-9-5), snapping a frustrating five-game skid (0-4-1). Goaltender Spencer Knight held steady with 22 saves, keeping the Hawks in contention after a brutal start.
Anaheim (15-9-1), meanwhile, looked in full control early. Cutter Gauthier recorded a goal and an assist, Chris Kreider scored his milestone 600th NHL point, and Troy Terry contributed two assists. Petr Mrazek stopped 13 of 16 shots before his exit, while Husso allowed one goal on the lone shot he faced.
The Ducks came out flying, netting three goals in a furious first period — two in the opening 47 seconds, which set a franchise record for the fastest pair of goals to start a game. Gauthier struck just 15 seconds after puck drop, taking a feed from Terry and ripping a wrist shot past Knight’s blocker. Only 32 seconds later, Olen Zellweger jumped on a rebound off another Terry attempt and sent it home from the left dot. For context, the previous record belonged to Corey Perry and Patrick Eaves, who scored 1:37 into a 2017 matchup.
Kreider extended the Ducks’ edge to 3-0 midway through the period, deftly redirecting Beckett Sennecke’s shot from the right circle. But that’s when the Blackhawks began their fightback.
Bertuzzi shifted the momentum at 17:57 of the first, tipping in Frank Nazar’s power-play shot from the right circle to make it 3-1. In the second, Greene cut the deficit further at 6:43, finishing a sharp 2-on-1 with Bedard, whose pinpoint pass set up a one-timer from the left circle. Just six minutes later, Dach tied the game on another power play. Teuvo Teravainen fed him the puck from the left boards, and Dach rifled a shot past Mrazek’s glove.
The third period opened with a brief scare for Chicago fans when Killorn appeared to score a short-handed goal at 4:11 — but after a coach’s challenge from the Blackhawks, the play was overturned due to an offside entry. That ruling flipped the momentum back in Chicago’s favor, culminating in Bedard’s heroics.
Was this Bedard’s true breakout moment, or a glimpse of an even greater future to come? Some fans might argue the Ducks collapsed more than the Hawks surged, but the resilience and energy Chicago displayed are hard to dismiss. What do you think — was this the turning point in the Blackhawks’ season or just a lucky night against a team that lost focus too soon?
