April Fool? Nope. Blackhawks, Connor Bedard Played .500 Hockey In March

The Chicago Blackhawks, last in the Central Division and 31st overall in the NHL at 22-47-5 and 49 points, actually played .500 hockey in March.

No April fooling.

The Blackhawks went 7-7-0, scoring 42 goals while allowing 47 last month. Their previous best months, percentage-wise, were October (3-6-0), November (4-8-0) and December (4-9-2) when they posted .333 marks based on points earned versus total possible points.

At least it's some progress for Chicago, which has been injury-depleted all season and still is without forward Taylor Hall (out for season, right ACL surgery) and defenseman Connor Murphy (core/hip soft tissue) heading into Tuesday's game at the New York Islanders. Forward Colin Blackwell (upper-body) and defenseman Nikita Zaitzev practiced on Monday at the UBS Arena on Long Island.

The Islanders enter at 32-27-15 and 79 points, three behind Washington and Detroit for the final Eastern Conference wild card slot. New York lost at Chicago 4-3 on Jan. 19, a final defeat for coach Lane Lambert before the Isles replaced him with Patrick Roy the next day.

Chicago is coming off a rare road win — and an even rarer solid one — 5-1 at Philadelphia on Saturday. The Blackhawks have won three of four overall for only the second time this season. See story in link:

Connor Bedard still leads all rookie in goals, 21 and points, 57, in 60 games. The 18-year-old had four goals and 17 points in 14 games in March and took 54 shots on goal.

Bedard also was a minus-10 in March and saw his overall plus/minus mark slide to minus-39.

But Bedard was dancing against the Flyers, even if he settled for an assist on Philipp Kurashev's goal, while firing six shots on net himself. 

The 24-year-old Kurashev had seven goals and 17 points in 14 games in March to boost his breakout season totals to 16 goals and 49 points in 67 contests.

Coach Luke Richardson will probably again start Bedard on a trio with Jason Dickinson and Kurashev on Tuesday.

Both Bedard and Dickinson, who has reached 20 goals for the first time in eight full NHL seasons, are centers. Either may take faceoffs or fill the center slot at different times, switching based on situations.

"I think they interchange," Richardson said. "I told them to work it out. They're filling lanes great. A lot of times Connor has the puck, which we like out puck-carrying guy to be in the middle.

"They're just three smart hockey players and we've kind of let them figure that out." 

Dickinson, one of only two Chicago forwards with a plus-ranking (plus-5) has a quick shot. He can fire what Richardson called "unpredictable passes that get through" from the shifty and crafty Bedard. See video.