Bedard gets assist to extend road point streak. But depleted Chicago had no answer for the Wild's top trio of rookie Marco Rossi, Mats Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov in third straight loss and ninth in 11. Updated story with videos.
Before the season is over, Connor Bedard could have some competition in the race for the Calder Trophy.
Add Minnesota rookie center Marco Rossi to the the list of challengers.
Wild rookie Marco Rossi had his first two-goal game.Rossi, the Wild's first-round draft pick in 2020 (ninth overall), recorded his first two-goal game in a 4-1 win over the Blackhawks in St. Paul on Sunday. Rossi, a 22-year-old Austrian, clicked with high-skill veteran wingers Mats Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov on shift after shift of crisp passing.
Zuccarello had a goal and two assists as Minnesota dominated in its third straight win since John Hynes replaced Dean Evason as the Wild's coach on Nov. 27.
"Definitely not a good night for us," Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said. "They're probably still showing their new coach they want to play.
"I thought they outskated us and outcompeted us in those tough areas, especially like in front of the net and in the corners. I'm not saying our guys didn't try... but we have to find a desperation level." See video.
Matt Boldy also scored for the Wild, who got two assists from rookie defenseman Brock Faber.
The slick, 5-foot-9 Rossi has eight goals and six assists in 22 games.
Bedard With Assist, Three Shots
Bedard assisted on Taylor Raddysh's power-play goal with 7:05 left in the third period that spoiled Marc-André Fleury's bid for a 74th career shutout.
Bedard has points in nine straight road games, extending his record for a Chicago rookie. The only other 18-year-old with a longer road point run in NHL history is Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon (16 games).
Bedard leads all rookie scorers with 11 goals and nine assists in 23 games. He had three shots on goal and attempted three more on Sunday.
Game Flow
Rossi opened the scoring just 2:11 in with a tip of Faber's shot from the point. He made it 2-0 at 12:08 with a one-timed power-play goal from the slot to cap a pinpoint passing play with Frederick Gaudreau and Faber.
Minnesota's top line swarmed the Blackhawks early.Zuccarello upped the Wild lead to 3-0 with 2:43 in the first. He was left wide-open on the backdoor side of the slot and whipped in Kaprizov's cross-ice feed.
Zuccarello's shot deflected off Boldy's body for a power-play goal midway through the second to extend Minnesota's lead to 4-0.
Raddysh tipped in his fourth goal from the edge of the crease off a cross-ice feed from Tyler Johnson. Bedard fed Johnson from the just inside the left point.
Raddysh said the Blackhawks need to learn to maintain their composure when an opponent strikes quickly. See the following video.
Reichel Sits
Struggling Chicago forward Lukas Reichel was a healthy scratch for the first time this season. Reichel was the Blackhawks first-round draft pick in 2020 and rated as the team's top prospect prior to the 2023 draft.
Reichel has just two goals and four assists in 26 games. The wiry 21-year-old German is focused and engaged at times, then just withdraws and disappears.
“I’m sure he’s disappointed, but we need more from him," Richardson said. "When there’s an opportunity like (Anthony) Beauvillier not being available (visa delay), it should be him that has that opportunity, so we’re disappointed as well.”
Towering D
Blackhawks prospect Louis Crevier, a 6-foot-8 defenseman called up from AHL Rockford on Saturday, made his NHL debut. He was paired with 6-foot-6 rookie Alex Vlasic.
Crevier, a 22-year-old from Qúebec City, was a seventh round pick (188th overall) in the 2020 draft.
The IceHogs had played against the Manitoba Moose in Winnipeg on Friday, so Crevier only had to walk down the hall at the Canada Life Centre to join the Blackhawks. He said he felt good in his first game. See the video.
Gutt-Punch
Center Cole Guttman played after missing three games with an upper-body injury.