Vancouver enters at 35-12-6 and a league-leading 76 points. Depleted Chicago, still without Connor Bedard, has lost six straight and is dead last at 14-35-3, 31 points.
Injured NHL leading rookie scorer Connor Bedard will miss a second straight game against his hometown team on Tuesday night when the Blackhawks host the league-best Vancouver Canucks.
Bedard, from North Vancouver, British Columbia, grew up rooting for the Canucks. Out with a broken jaw since Jan. 5, Bedard wasn't able to play when Chicago lost 2-0 in Vancouver on Jan. 22 in what would have been a hyped homecoming for the NHL's top draft pick of 2023.
Bedard in game-day skate on Tuesday.Bedard did skate against the Canucks at the United Center on Dec. 17 when Vancouver prevailed 4-3. The 18-year-old center had two assists and 23:16 of ice time in that contest.
Bedard Nearing Return
Wearing a green no-contact jersey, Bedard was able to participate at full-tilt in the game-day skate on Tuesday morning. The rookie was skating, passing and shooting without restrictions. He could be cleared to resume contact in practice as early as next week, then play in games soon afterward. See story in link.
Current Canucks fans have had something to cheer about this season.
Vancouver entered Tuesday with at 35-12-6 and an NHL-best 76 points. The Canucks had connected for 195 goals, second only to Colorado's 196, and had allowed 2.58 goals per game, tied with Boston for third lowest.
The Canucks haven't lost more than two games in a row in 2023-24 — and haven't been in first place this late since 2012 when they held on to the top regular-season spot and won a second straight President's Trophy.
Vancouver is coming off a 3-2 overtime win at Washington and will complete a five-game trip at the United Center.
Goalie Matchup
All-Star Thatcher Demko, whose 2.45 goals-against average and .919 save percentage are near the top of the NHL, will be in nets for Vancouver on Tuesday. Demko stopped 31 shots in blanking the Blackhawks at Rogers Arena on Jan. 22.
Chicago has lost six straight (0-5-1) and is dead-last in the NHL at 14-35-3 and 31 points. Only San Jose has scored fewer goals than the Hawks' 109.
The Blackhawks earned a point in their last game, a 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Rangers on Friday. They rallied late and actually scored three times after posting just 11 goals in their previous 11 games. See coach Luke Richardson in the video.
Goaltending, however, hasn't been an issue for Chicago.
The Blackhawks will start resurgent Petr Mrazek, who has bounced back robustly after being dogged by a groin injury over the past two years with Toronto, then Chicago. Despite playing on a rebuilding and injury-ravaged team, Mrazek has a 2.92 goals-against average and .910 save percentage. See the story in the link.