10 observations: Connor Bedard has 3-point game in Blackhawks’ loss to Hurricanes originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
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The Chicago Blackhawks were routed by the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3 on Monday at PNC Arena as their road losing streak reaches 21 games.
Here are 10 observations from the loss:
1. This game went exactly how I thought it was going to go. The Hurricanes have been the best puck possession team in the league for about five years now, and they flexed their muscles against a rebuilding Blackhawks team. Carolina led 5-1 through 40 minutes and was in full control before letting its foot off the gas and allowed Chicago to push back in the third period.
2. The Hurricanes led in shot attempts (79-37), shots on goal (42-17), scoring chances (39-18), and high-danger chances (16-7), per Natural Stat Trick. Pure domination.
3. Connor Bedard had a three-point outing with a goal and two assists. He could’ve had a fourth point but he had a goal taken away for the second straight game and third time this season because of an offside challenge. Bedard has factored in on six of the seven goals Chicago has scored since he returned to the lineup. Difference-maker.
4. Bedard had zero shots on goal going into the third period, but Hurricanes goaltender Spencer Martin appeared to poke the bear by giving Bedard a shove at the end of the second. I’m not sure what Martin was upset about though because it was his teammate Dmitry Orlov that pushed Bedard into Martin near the end of the period. When Bedard scored the goal that got taken away in the third, he stared down Martin. It was hilarious.
5. The Blackhawks were gifted a 5-on-3 power play for 1:41 just three and a half minutes into the game, but they couldn’t capitalize on that opportunity despite recording three shots. When they didn’t convert on any of those chances, you knew the Blackhawks were going to look back on that and see it as a huge missed opportunity. And it was.
6. Nick Foligno extended his point streak to six games after scoring his 13th goal of the season and adding an assist. He has four goals and three assists over that stretch after having only one point in his previous 10 contests.
7. The Blackhawks are now 0-20-1 over their last 21 road games. They have a -60 goal differential over that span. Their next road game isn’t until March 4 in Colorado, which means they’re going to be approaching four months without a road win by the time that game…