In three days, it will have been a month since Connor Bedard was injured in what was dubbed a “freak accident” at the end of a one-goal loss to the Blues. With just a second left in the game, Bedard was popped in the shoulder by captain Brayden Schenn, immediately exiting the game in serious pain. The Blackhawks lost their first five games after he left the lineup, but finally figured out how to win without their superstar, winning each of their last four games.
Starting with Friday night’s game against the Capitals, Chicago doesn’t have to win without him anymore. Bedard is officially back in the lineup after saying he’s “good to go” after Friday’s morning skate. On Wednesday and Friday, he was on the ice in a regular jersey, and in Wednesday night’s game, Darren Pang hinted that he might be back, but it’s still a pleasant surprise to see him already at full speed. He practiced on the first power-play unit, so he should be a full go.
The Blackhawks will need him, apparently. They’ve played three games in four days, and he’d obviously be their freshest player. Chicago also apparently has a sickness going around, as Nick Foligno, Ilya Mikheyev, and Arvid Soderblom, along with head coach Jeff Blashill, were absent from morning skate. Funnily enough, legendary emergency goaltender Scott Foster was on the ice, filling in at least for the morning. Will the Blackhawks ease him in, or will they give him a ton of ice time right out of the gate?
Bedard’s absence may have actually been (somewhat) beneficial for the Blackhawks. At the time of his injury, he had scored or assisted on almost half of Chicago’s goals this season, and others stepped up, stabilizing the scoring and not basing the entire offense around one player. But Bedard was playing like a Hart Trophy candidate with 19 goals and 25 assists in 31 games before his injury, so the team and fans will be thrilled to have him back. With Chicago in their black sweaters on Friday night and Bedard back in the lineup, it’ll be a game many won’t want to miss.
