Gameday Preview: Blackhawks eye bounce back in Montreal without Connor Bedard

The trip to the Bell Centre marks Chicago's second and final meeting with the Canadiens this season, and they're hoping to flip the script after a three-game losing streak.

Chicago sits at 13-14-6 on the season, trying to climb back toward a .500 mark and back into a wild-card conversation in the Western Conference. Their 6-8-3 road record shows they've battled away from home, but consistency has been hard to find.

Montreal, at 17-12-4, comes in with a bit more momentum, and they're tough to score on at the Bell Centre.

The big storyline for Hawks fans is the loss of Connor Bedard, who suffered a right shoulder injury in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Blues and is out for the foreseeable future, likely through December and reevaluated in January. Bedard's elite scoring (19 goals, 25 assists, 44 points) and playmaking are massive pieces missing tonight.

Without Bedard, the Blackhawks need secondary scorers to step up. Wyatt Kaiser and Jason Dickinson both scored in Tuesday's tight 3-2 loss to the Maple Leafs, but Chicago couldn't hold late leads. Goalie Spencer Knight will again get the call, and his steadiness in net sets the tone for a team that can hang around if structure stays tight.

Montreal's roster has its own young stars making noise, and their recent performances - including goalie Jacob Fowler's 35-save night in his NHL debut - show this is a Canadiens group hungry to solidify their spot in the standings.

The Habs can score in bunches, and Chicago's penalty discipline will matter. Reuters
For Blackhawks fans, the absence of Bedard isn't just a box score change-it changes how Chicago attacks and defends for 60 minutes.

Tonight will test whether guys like Andre Burakovsky and Teuvo Teravainen can take control of playmaking duties and create offense in sustained stretches.

This isn't an easy bounce-back spot, but if Chicago tightens up defensively, limits turnovers, and draws physical pushback from Montreal, there's a chance to turn their trip around. The Bell Centre is no soft landing, but a disciplined, structured effort can keep the Hawks competitive.