Blackhawks roll into rivalry test in St. Louis with Bedard red-hot and Blues retooling

Chicago's club is coming off a strong bounce-back, a 3-0 win over the New York Rangers where Bedard scored and assisted and goaltender Spencer Knight stopped every shot he saw. Bedard's 19th goal of the season tied him for third in NHL goal scoring as Chicago tightened defense and limited opponent chances.

At Enterprise Center, this is the second of four meetings between these Central Division foes this season. The Blackhawks already took St. Louis 8-3 on Oct. 15 with contributions up and down the lineup, including multi-point nights from Ilya Mikheyev and Alex Vlasic.

Chicago has leaned into its power play on the road, leading the NHL in road power-play percentage over its last stretch of games.

St. Louis enters on a different trajectory, seeking stability after a rough outing in Nashville where the Blues lost 7-2 and allowed six goals in one period. That game highlighted defensive-zone coverage issues the Blues are trying to fix heading into Friday's matchup.

Chicago sits with points in five of its last eight road games, and Knight has been a backbone with a .923 save percentage over that span. The Hawks defence has kept traffic to the middle in check, forcing opponents into low-percentage chances while Chicago tries to generate clean entries.

Here's the official game preview if you want all the broadcast times and how to watch:

Chicago fans are buzzing that Bedard's shooting and point pace has flipped the Blackhawks into a competitive groove after inconsistent early season form.

St. Louis has seen flashes from players like Jake Neighbours and Joel Hofer, including a solid 2-1 win over Ottawa, but the Blues have been shaky on defence and goal prevention lately. Jordan Kyrou's recent leg injury leaves a question mark on the top lines for St. Louis.

Tactically, Chicago will look to attack the Blues up the middle early, cycle high, and get the puck to the net through traffic, forcing Hofer into lateral saves. St. Louis has struggled to keep possession in its zone in recent losses and will need quicker retrievals to slow Chicago's transition game.

For fans of both camps this feels like a litmus test: can the Blackhawks sustain road offence and special teams success, or will the Blues tighten up and protect home ice with physical play around the crease? Expect heavy forechecks and contested battles along the boards as both teams chase control of this Central Division duel.