Connor Bedard Scores 11th, But Blackhawks Fall Again, 3-1 in Winnipeg

Skating with new linemate Anthony Beauvillier, Bedard connected quickly in a solid effort. Some other players didn't measure up in depleted Chicago's eighth loss in 10 games. Updated story with videos.

Connor Bedard got the Chicago Blackhawks off to a quick start with his 11th goal, but the Winnipeg Jets recovered for a 3-1 win on Saturday afternoon to end their three-game slide.

Bedard, along with goalie Arvid Söderblom, was a bright spot for Chicago, which lost its second straight game and and eighth in 10.  Bedard finished with three shots, attempted two more and made some flashy plays that led to unconverted scoring chances for teammates.

"I think he really had some excellent bursts out there," coach Luke Richardson said. "I like his game. I think it's going in the right direction.

"He's not happy with the result of the game, but he should be happy with his play tonight."  See the following video.

Bedard leads NHL rookies with his 11 goals and 19 points in 22 games.

He has an eight-game point streak on the road. It's the second longest for an 18-year-old in NHL history behind Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon and a record for a Blackhawks rookie.

Söderblom finished with 25 saves, including some tough ones.

Forward Anthony Beauvillier, acquired from Vancouver on Tuesday, joined the Blackhawks and Bedard and Philipp Kurashev on the team's top line. The trio clicked on their second shift in to give Chicago a 1-0 lead 4:39 in.

Beauvillier forced a Winnipeg turnover on the forecheck. The puck landed on Kurashev's stick, and he made a cross ice pass to Bedard in the left circle. The rookie slid low and pitched off a quick shot that ticked the paddle of Connor Hellebuyck's stick and continued into the net.

General manager Kyle Davidson swung the deal for Beauvillier, 26, within hours of placing 38-year-old Corey Perry on unconditional waivers to terminate his employment. 

Beauvillier talks about his first game with the Blackhawks in the following video.

Mark Scheifele's power-play goal tied it midway through the first. He connected from the slot after taking a feed from Gabriel Vilardi, who beat rookie Hawks defenseman Alex Vlasic on the boards with a move.

Morgan Barron put the Jets ahead at 6:23 of the second. Nikolaj Ehlers hit Barron with a stretch pass after defenseman Connor Murphy got caught in deep. Barron skated in against Beauvillier — who had jumped in to fill Murphy's defense slot — and beat Söderblom with a low shot.

Following a Jets faceoff win, Cole Perfetti upped it to 3-1 at 10:06 of the third with a midair deflection of Dylan Samberg's shot from the point. Perfetti, 21, was Winnipeg's first-round pick (10th overall) in 2020,

Bedard was in pain on the bench after getting sandwiched and hit by Brenden Dillon and Ehlers to end a high-energy final shift of the second period.

Bedard broke in on left wing, but peeled off without a good shot angle, then danced and stickhandled in the left corner.  Bedard made a slick backhand cross-ice pass to Kurashev, whose shot was stopped by Hellebuyck.

Dillon closed in behind Bedard and Ehlers clipped him from the front.

The 22-year-old Vlasic, still a rookie, has been solid most of the season. But Vilardi got past Vlasic to set up Scheifele's goal when the 6-foot-6 defenseman focused on the puck and didn't take out Vilardi as he steamed down the right boards.

Chicago shook up its defense corps. Veteran Jarred Tinordi, who suffered an oblique injury in Tampa on Nov. 9, returned the lineup. D-man Louis Crevier was recalled from AHL Rockford.

The Blackhawks assigned rookie rearguards Wyatt Kaiser and Isaak Phillips to the IceHogs. Kaiser, 21, started the season strong with Chicago, but had tailed off and struggled in a 5-1 loss at Detroit on Thursday.