Connor Bedard, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and No. 2 selection Leo Carlsson will meet in a game for only the second time when the Anaheim Ducks host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. Bedard and the Blackhawks hope to battle better than they did against the Kings on Tuesday. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA1MDUxOTQ5MTkwNjIwOTI0/usatsi_22787221_168401008_lowres.jpg] Bedard and the Blackhawks hope to battle better than they did against the Kings on Tuesday. The two teenage centers first tangled on Dec. 7, 2023 in Chicago as the Blackhawks and Petr Mrazek blanked the Ducks 1-0. Bedard and Carlsson were on the ice at the same time only briefly, taking one faceoff against each other. Bedard assisted on linemate Philipp Kurashev's power-play goal midway through the second period in the contest. Mrazek blocked 37 shots. Carlsson was out with a concussion when the Blackhawks routed the Ducks 7-2 last Tuesday at the United Center. Bedard had a goal and season-high five points. See story in link. BEDARD TOP CALDER CANDIDATE Bedard had a season-best five points against the Ducks last week. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA0OTgxMjAzMjk0NDk2Mzg4/usatsi_22761446_168401008_lowres.jpg] Bedard had a season-best five points against the Ducks last week. Bedard has emerged as the top Calder Trophy candidate, leading all rookies with 21 goals and 54 points in 55 games. He missed nearly six weeks after suffering a broken jaw on Jan. 5, but is tops among first-year forwards with 19:35 of ice time per game. The 6-foot-3 Carlsson has nine goals and 15 assists in 42 games. While the Blackhawks have used Bedard as a first-line, offense-generating center from the get-go, the Ducks had planned to phase in Carlsson more gradually. In addition to sitting out eight games with the concussion, the rangy Swede also missed 10 with a knee ligament sprain and two with a lower-body injury. BOTTOM BUDDIES Both the Blackhawks and Ducks are again in about the same positions in the standings that led to them netting the top two picks in the 2023 draft. Only San Jose has a worse record than Chicago and Anaheim. The Blackhawks are coming off a 6-2 loss to the bigger, stronger and playoff- bound Kings in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Chicago has won three of five, however, and Bedard has four goals and 11 points in the stretch. Chicago coach Luke Richardson ran his team through battle drills in practice on Wednesday to fire up his players. He wants them to be meaner and more determined in front of the net and other "hard" areas. (See video and story in link.) Balckhawks coach Luke Richardson called for box-out battle drills after Chicago was dominated in tough areas by Kings in 6-2 loss in Los Angeles. The Ducks enter having lost seven straight and will try to avoid their second eight-game slide this season. At 19-45-5 (43 points), Chicago is 31st in the NHL and would have 13.5% odds of winning the No. 1 pick in the NHL's 2024 Draft Lottery. That selection is expected to be Boston University freshman power-forward and 30-goal scorer Macklin Celebrini. Anaheim enters 30th at 23-43-9 (49 points) and would have an 11.5% chance of netting the top selection this year. Chicago drew the the No. 1 choice — and Bedard — last year finishing 30th and with those odds. The NHL has not yet announced the date of the 2024 draft lottery. Last year it was on May 8.
