Chicago and San Jose are in the leaders... when it comes to the best odds at winning the 2024 NHL Draft lottery and the right to select Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini.

The Chicago Blackhawks and Connor Bedard battled the San Jose Sharks for last place in the NHL — and the best odds at winning the league's 2024 draft lottery – on Sunday at the United Center.

The Blackhawks lowered their chances at netting the No. 1 pick for a second straight year with a 5-2 comeback win.

Bedard had an empty-net goal as time ran out and an assist. The NHL's leading rookie scorer upped his totals to 21 goals and 53 points in 54 games.

Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini, like Bedard last season, is a slam-dunk choice to be selected first in 2024. Still only 17, Celebrini has had a sensational freshman year with 30 goals and 25 assists in 33 games for the Terriers.

Chicago Comeback

Ryan Donato, rookie defenseman Kevin Korchinski and Joey Anderson scored in a 83-second span midway through the third period to rally Chicago to its third victory in four games

Philipp Kurashev connected with 5:58 left in the second to start the comeback as the Blackhawks bounced back from an early two-goal deficit. Chicago improved to 43 points, four more than dead-last San Jose.

The Sharks had jumped ahead 2-0 in the first period on goals by former Blackhawk Ryan Carpenter and Klim Kostin.

Carpenter fired in a rebound to complete a 2-on-1 at 10:33. Kostin scored from the doorstep with 3:28 left in the first after taking Mikael Granlund's feed from behind the net.

The line of Bedard, Tyler Johnson and Kurashev finally got Chicago on the board in this one.

Kurashev drove down the slot and scored his 14th goal on a nifty tip in of Johnson's centering feed. Bedard started the crisp passing sequence after entering the San Jose zone on left wing.

Donato tied it on a deflection at 10:39 of the third. Korchinski put Chicago ahead 3-2 at 11:51 on a screened shot from the blue line.

Anderson was credited with upping it to 4-2 just 11 seconds later when he dished the puck in front and it deflected in off San Jose defenseman Calen Addison.

Chicago's Petr Mrazek made 24 saves

San Jose's Devin Cooley, blocked 26 shots in his NHL debut. Cooley is a 6-foot-5, 26 year-old from Los Gatos, California, just south of San Jose. The Sharks acquired him from Buffalo at the trade deadline.

Odds Are...

Or maybe the Chicago and San Jose are trying to avoid the league's cellar. The Blackhawks have been saying they want to start "playing the right way."

What's at stake? The team that finishes 32nd in the 32-team NHL will have 25.5% chance of winning the 2024 draft lottery. The club in 31st place will have 13.5% chance. The No. 30 team will have 11.5% odds.

The Sharks entered in last place in the NHL with 39 points in 66 games on a 16-43-7 record. San Jose was 1-10-2 in its last 13.

The Blackhawks entered in 31st place after 67 games, with an 18-44-5 mark and 41 points. Despite getting smoked 5-0 by Los Angeles on Friday, Chicago had won three of its last five.

The Blackhawks won the lottery in 2023 — and the right to select Bedard — with the NHL's third-worst record.

Bedard and his teammates were shut down by the Kings, but the NHL's leading rookie scorer had three goals and eight points in  two previous games as Chicago outscored Arizona 7-4 and Anaheim 7-2.

Celebrini Powers

Like Bedard, Celebrini is from the Vancouver area. At 6-foot and 190-pounds, Celebrini is considered a power-forward as a collegiate player. He has more of a booming shot, rather than a deceptive, crafty one like Bedard.

Boston University has advanced to the semifinals of the Hockey East Tournament and will face Maine this Friday. Currently at 25-8-2 overall, the Terriers also will earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament, so Celebrini will play at least a few more collegiate games.

Celebrini is the first BU player to record 30 goals in a season since Chris Drury scored 38 during the 1996-97 season.

He's also just the fourth NCAA freshman since the turn of the century to notch 30 goals in a single season, joining Michigan's Adam Fantilli (30 goals, 2022-23), Minnesota's Thomas Vanek (31 goals, 2002-03) and Michigan's Kyle Connor (35 goals, 2015-16).