It was a good night to be a Chicago Blackhawks fan at the United Center.
The home team and the visiting Calgary Flames were in a slugfest for the first two periods on Tuesday. It was 2-2 early in the third, and it seemed like the Flames would steal a win after a goal from defenseman Rasmus Andersson.
The Hawks needed a jolt. That’s when they looked to alternate captain… Connor Bedard? In the absence of team captain Nick Foligno and alternate captain Jason Dickinson, No. 98 wore the “A” patch for the first time in his young career. And he wore it with pride.
Hats off to the captain. And hats off from the fans.
Bedard’s second career hat trick lifted the Hawks to a 5-2 win. The center has scored 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in the past 10 games. He notched his first hat trick less than a month ago — also a win at the United Center.
“I’ve been so fortunate to learn from guys like Fliggy (Foligno), Dicky (Dickinson), Murph (Connor Murphy), all those guys that have been leaders in our room. The Blackhawks jersey in general is such a special thing,” Bedard said. “There have been a lot of great players who have a letter on their chest and it’s a great honor and something I don’t take lightly.”
Bedard completed the hat trick at the end of the third on an empty-netter. Winning comes first, but you can’t blame the 20-year-old for wanting the accolade.
Photos: Chicago Blackhawks beat the Calgary Flames 5-2 at the United Center
“I think if anyone goes out there for the empty-netter with a chance for a hat trick, you’re not going to force it, but I felt good in that spot to shoot that one,” Bedard said. “I turned it over too, so just wanted to make sure to ice the game.”
The Hawks (10-5-4) are 5-0-1 in their last six games — their longest point streak since 2019. They hit the 10-win mark in 19 games, which is the fastest they’ve hit double-digit wins since the 2016-17 season (14 games).
Bedard’s first game with a patch was a fun one. He even saw the pros of skating with a letter.
“The refs were way nicer to me today, I didn’t get kicked out of a draw for the first time in my career,” Bedard said. “I always have something to say to the refs, so it was fun.”
Fans are running out of compliments to say about Bedard’s game. But that didn’t stop Hawks coach Jeff Blashill from praising his top-line center.
“What I like the most about (Bedard) is the consistency in his approach,” Blashill said. “The fact that he’s competed and stopped on pucks and played pretty good defensively and really tries to do the right things on a consistent basis, he gets rewarded for that with offense over this stretch that he’s been (on).”
The star center used a one-of-a-kind release to give the Hawks the lead for good at 4:57 in the third period.
Forward Oliver Moore scored his second NHL goal on a not-so-pretty breakaway. It went in the net, that’s all that matters. “I just put it on the forehand for mine, so it was good,” Moore said.
Ryan Donato opened the Hawks scoring with his seventh goal of the season late in the first period. As always, he was happy to see the puck go in.
“You pray for those opportunities (and) that the puck finds you at the right place,” Donato said. “A couple guys made some nice plays there and I was fortunate to have it come to me in the slot.”
When the final buzzer sounded, defenseman Sam Rinzel and Flames right winger Adam Klapka got into a fight near center ice. The last few games between the two teams have been chippy, and Calgary outhit the Hawks 43-13 on Tuesday.
“There’s been things that have happened (with the Flames), but that’s up for a lot of those other guys to watch the videos,” Donato said. “I didn’t even see the hit, I saw what happened after.
“It’s tough, but they’re a team that plays hard. They’re struggling a little bit, and things can get nasty pretty quickly. Guys aren’t shying away from it right now, and that’s great for us. It’s definitely fun to be a part of, but you’ve got to be careful at the same time.”
A 4-game homestand after a 3-2-1 road trip ends Thursday against the Seattle Kraken, with more opportunities to add to the Hawks’ point total.
“It’s an every-night league, that’s what I’m learning here,” Moore said. “Definitely you can’t take your foot off the pedal. Each game is a new challenge, each opponent is different. We want to earn a win every night.”