Without Connor Bedard, the injury-depleted Chicago Blackhawks are 3-6-0. That .333 winning percentage actually is a tiny bit better than their 14-31-2 overall season record. Forward like Jason Dickinson (16) are making Chicago "harder to play against." [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAzNzUyODg2OTM5NjkwNTU2/usatsi_22331193_168401008_lowres.jpg] Forward like Jason Dickinson (16) are making Chicago "harder to play against." Bedard, the NHL's leading rookie scorer suffered a broken jaw on an open-ice hit from Devils defenseman Brendan Smith in the first period of a 4-2 loss at New Jersey on Jan. 5. Counting that contest, the Blackhawks have scored just 15 goals in nine games and been shut out twice heading into Wednesday night at Seattle. That's an anemic 1.67 goals per game. TIGHTER DEFENSIVELY During the span, Chicago has allowed 23 goals, a 2.55 goals-against average. Only three teams — Winnipeg, Vancouver and Los Angeles — have lower goals-against marks for the season. Part of the reason for the tidier GAA has been the play the resurgent Petr Mrazek in nets. Healthy this season after two years of battling a groin injury, the 31-year-old Czech has emerged as Chicago's No. 1 goalie with a .907 save percentage and 3.01 goals-against average in 32 games this season. A healthy Petr Mrazek has emerged as Chicago's red-hot No. 1 goalie. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAzNjE0NTAxNDgyODY2NTUw/usatsi_22288434_168401008_lowres.jpg] A healthy Petr Mrazek has emerged as Chicago's red-hot No. 1 goalie. In seven starts since Bedard was hurt, Mrazek is 3-4-0 with a 2.15 GAA and .924 save percentage. His three-year, $11.4 million contract expires at the end of the season. Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson must soon decide to extend Mrazek — as he did with forwards Nick Foligno and Jason Dickson for two years — or deal the goalie for assets before the March 8 trade deadline. The Blackhawks also have played better defensively in front of Mrazek and Arvid Söderblom since they lost Bedard. The rookie has resumed skated, but still is projected to miss six-to-eight weeks in total since sustaining the fractured jaw and undergoing surgery. Besides Bedard, Chicago remains without injured forwards Tyler Johnson (foot), Andreas Athanasiou (groin), Anthony Beauvillier (left wrist) and Taylor Hall (right ACL surgery, out for season.) Defensemen Connor Murphy (groin) and Nikita Zaitsev (right knee) also are on the IL. CHICAGO "HARDER TO PLAY AGAINST" Coach Luke Richardson says his team has to try "to win games 2-1" and "just have that identity of being hard to play against" in the interim. The Blackhawks haven't been far off on most nights. "When the offense isn't there, you've got to hunker down on defense until you work your wait out of it," Richardson said. "Now when we start to get, hopefully players back, we're going to try to continue to push this way. But we'll have a little more higher-end offensive output that we can install in there and that will be a good two-way-game." See the following video. Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson talks about his team's improved defensive performance and being "harder to play against." Following Wednesday's game versus the Kraken, the Blackhawks play the surging Oilers in Edmonton on Thursday. They face the Flames at Calgary on Saturday in their final game before the NHL All-Star break. Bedard (right) is back on the ice in Chicago [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAzNzg4NzA0NTUxMDIwMDI3/img_6192.jpg] Bedard (right) is back on the ice in Chicago Bedard was named to the All-Star game one day before being injured. With the rookie sidelined, the Blackhawks will not have a player participate in the All-Star game or skills competition in Toronto. However, it's possible the NHL will ask Bedard to make an appearance at one or more All-Star events.
