Bedard shows off 'dangerous' skill set in Blackhawks debut

PITTSBURGH -- Connor Bedard was skating up toward the blue line when he banked a slick backhand pass to defenseman Alex Vlasic, who was going toward the net.

Vlasic then put a shot on net, and Ryan Donato cleaned up the rebound in front, giving Bedard, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, his first point in what was an outstanding debut for the Chicago Blackhawks.

“Yeah, just trying to find the open guy, and I think we almost had a couple there,” Bedard said following the 4-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday.

“Felt like I created a good amount of chances for myself and a couple for others. Of course, I’m having a tough time putting it in the net these past four or five games (he scored one empty-net goal in four preseason games), but hopefully that comes. For me, it’s just trying to create, and if I’m creating, you feel good.”

Bedard won’t have to wait long for another try at that first goal with the Blackhawks playing the Boston Bruins at TD Garden in Boston on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT).

Bedard’s arrival in the League had been as highly anticipated as that of Connor McDavid, who was selected with the No. 1 pick by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 NHL Draft.

Despite that, the 18-year-old, who linemate Taylor Hall said handles himself like a 26-year-old, certainly looked the part of a seasoned veteran against the Penguins. Even playing against his childhood idol, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, didn’t faze him.

His setup on Donato’s goal was just further proof of that.

“He’s so dangerous, and even climbing high in the O-zone on the Donato goal, the first goal, he was so dangerous the whole shift,” Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said. “People gravitate to him defensively and let Vlasic walk down freely, get a good shot and Donato just worked his butt off as he always does in the crease and got the goal. It starts with Connor really moving and being creative, and it got us going there.”

Bedard finished the game with 21:29 of ice time, which was second on Chicago to defenseman Seth Jones (25:28). His wrist shot was sizzling, and his five shots on goal were tied for second in the game with Penguins forward Bryan Rust. Bedard drove to the net without hesitation, and as a result the 5-foot-10, 185-pound center took a few hits throughout the game but got right back up every time.

“I’m sure that’s happened to him his whole life, and it’s going to keep happening to him here until they realize you have to be careful, just like (when) you go at Crosby or (Penguins forward Evgeni) Malkin,” Richardson said. “Those are maybe a little bit bigger, stronger guys but they can dance you as well.

“I think it was the second period he did that slick move from behind his back. You can catch a guy leaning the wrong way and look really silly. The more he gets comfortable and stronger and dangerous, he’ll get more room because people will try to play him a little safer.”

When asked what impressed him the most about Bedard, forward Jason Dickinson shook his head and laughed.

“A lot,” he said. “He’s a very mature kid for his age. There's a ton of pressure that's been put on him. It doesn't seem to faze him, doesn't seem to even hit him.

“I heard him talk about it the other day. I thought he had a great response. He said, ‘I'm just playing the game I love.’ The noise is all of you guys, really. So that's all he's doing. He's just playing hockey. That's all he knows and that's all he wants to do."

Bedard has said often that he’s always confident in himself, and that confidence is going to be one of his biggest assets as he attempts to follow in the footsteps of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, who led Chicago to the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

That confidence in his ability was obvious in his debut, and he’s only going to get better with experience.

“Obviously, as games go on you just get more comfortable, get more in it,” Bedard said. “That’s the game I’ve been playing for however many years now. It’s a lot of fun, but yeah, just like I said before, just trying to get better every shift and adjust myself to playing against the best players in the world.”