Rookie Connor Bedard scored the winning goal at 2:15 of overtime Wednesday night, giving the Chicago Blackhawks a 2-1 victory over the visiting Winnipeg Jets.
Bedard skated down the middle of the ice and wired a snapper from the high slot that evaded the glove hand of Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck, sealing the Blackhawks’ second win in eight games. It was his 15th goal of the season and his 32nd point in 34 games.
Petr Mrazek saved 37 of 38 shots for Chicago, coming up with consecutive stops on point-blank chances just before Bedard’s game-winner. Mrazek stoned Josh Morrissey on a breakaway, then denied Nino Niederreiter on a rebound try near the right post.
That came moments after the Blackhawks botched a three-on-one rush, failing to even produce a shot as Anthony Beauvillier wasn’t able to get his stick on a pass at the right post.
Hellebuyck made 23 saves for the Jets, who lost for only the third time in 11 games in December (8-1-2).
Winnipeg controlled most of the first 15 minutes, squeezing off the match’s first eight shots and hogging the puck for long stretches. But Bedard converted Chicago’s first bit of extended pressure into a goal at 15:57, poking a rebound by Hellebuyck while absorbing an elbow from Vladislav Namestnikov. It was Bedard’s 12th first-period goal of the season.
The Jets equalized as the result of a classic rush by their fourth line at the 3:47 mark of the second period. Axel Jonsson-Fjallby sent Morgan Barron down the left wing and Barron’s wrister from the left circle appeared to carom off Mrazek’s upper thigh and into the net for his sixth marker of the season.
However, Mrazek and his defense were able to keep Winnipeg off the board for the rest of the night. The Blackhawks blocked 21 shots and killed off four power plays, including one in the final three minutes.
–Field Level Media
