Blackhawks find way to defeat Maple Leafs without offense from Bedard

TORONTO -- The sparkplugs for the Chicago Blackhawks on this night were two newcomers this season who are trying to change the image and the culture surrounding an Original Six franchise.

Newsflash: Connor Bedard wasn’t one of them.

No, the catalysts for their 4-1 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday were two forwards who helped their team to victory in different ways.

Nick Foligno is 35. Corey Perry is 38. The Blackhawks brought them in for their veteran presence, stabilizing pieces who could watch out for Bedard, the 18-year-old phenom selected by Chicago with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, on and off the ice.

But their impact cuts much deeper than that.

Take Foligno, for instance. According to defenseman Alex Vlasic, it was his emotional and rousing speech after a 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday that provided motivation heading into the game against the Maple Leafs.

“He told us our play was unacceptable,” Vlasic said, adding that Foligno’s words very much fired the Blackhawks up. “We were kind of sleeping in the first two periods of that game in Montreal, and we still managed to end up with two goals. I think if we were dialed in, we probably could have won that game.

“He told us the goal for us was the finish this trip over .500.”

Having lost two of the first three on their season-opening five-game road trip including their visit to Montreal, Chicago would have to win in Toronto on Monday and in Denver on Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche in order to heed Foligno’s words.

They’re one step closer after being the superior team against the Maple Leafs.

“Aw, they weren’t supposed to let you guys know about that speech,” Foligno joked as he made his way to the team bus after the win.

“In all seriousness, I just told them that we have a good team here. The past stays in the past. Let’s have a winning trip by the time we get home.

“We should have pride when we go on the ice.”

They certainly had that Monday.

Certainly, there was a buzz in the stands in anticipation of Bedard, who had a point (one goal, two assists) in each of his first three NHL games. The Foster Hewitt press box at Scotiabank Arena was shoehorned with media and scouts as though they were watching a Stanley Cup Playoff game.

What they saw was Bedard held without a point for the first time in an NHL game, although the teenager did have the crowd oohing and aahing with a handful of brilliant moves.

They also saw Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews fail to score, ending his bid to become the first player in NHL history to get three consecutive hat tricks.

Most importantly, they saw Corey Perry be Corey Perry.

The antagonist wing, who played his junior hockey nearby for London of the Ontario Hockey League, often spends part of his summers in southern Ontario and loves nothing more than to get under the collective skins of Maple Leafs fans. He did just that at 14:46 of the second period, taking a beautiful breakaway pass from Vlasic and sending a low wrist shot past Toronto goalie Joseph Woll to give Chicago a 2-1 lead in what proved to be the game-winner.

“It’s cool to have a player like that, not only for his experience but the fact that he’s been to the Final and he’s won a Stanley Cup (with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007 and Dallas Stars in 2020),” Vlasic said. “It’s cool to have a guy like that and a guy like Foligno in the locker room mentoring the young guys.

“They’re super vocal and super helpful for everybody.”

Bedard, by the way, had four shots on goal in 18:35 of ice time. No matter. The Blackhawks still found a way to win without him on the score sheet.

Do that on a regular basis, and Chicago’s season might be better than many prognosticators predicted.