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The Great One has incredible words for Blackhawks youngster Connor Bedard
Photo credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The Great One and NHL on TNT host Wayne Gretzky paid generational talent Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks a great compliment.
While the Chicago Blackhawks weren't able to pull off a victory against the New Jersey Devils, NHL on TNT analyst Wayne Gretzky complimented Bedard and his plucky team.
The Blackhawks were unable to overcome the Metropolitan Division's best team, the New Jersey Devils, in overtime last night.
They'd give up multiple one-goal leads during the contest, while goaltender Spencer Knight went above and beyond to keep the team in the game.
While moral victories don't count for anything, the Blackhawks stood tall against the Devils, without Jason Dickinson, Frank Nazar, and Andre Burakovsky.
Bedard would strike first, putting the Blackhawks up 1-0 and giving the Devils an excuse to come from behind and win.
The team would take on the Devils during the power play, with a 5-3 man advantage, and would keep the puck in the zone while battling it out against the Devils on the penalty kill.
Chicago's good puck and body movement tired out the New Jersey penalty killers. Eventually, Bedard had a give-and-go with Teuvo Teravainen that took Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom out of the net, and Bedard beat him.
Bedard's goal would give him goals in the last four games and points in his last nine. His competitiveness is fueling an exciting race between himself and Macklin Celebrini this season. This is just after last year, when Bedard would join Patrick Kane with a historic milestone.
While Celebrini has 26 points, Bedard is tied with Leo Carlsson and Celebrini, keeping the youth movement in the discussion.
"He's been absolutely spectacular." Wayne Gretzky said of Bedard. "It's such a pleasure to see because coming into this league at 18, you [have] all this pressure on you, you [have] all of this focus on you, you're not a very good team, you're a young team, you're rebuilding. He was front and center; he didn't back away from anybody or shy away from the media. For him to work as hard as he did in the off-season to come in and play at the level he's playing at now, he's earning his way onto Team Canada."
The Great One sees something more in Bedard this year, and from one of the NHL's all-time leading scorers, his compliment was unprompted but not unwelcome.
Bedard deserves the honors for improving his game this year and putting his name in the hat for Team Canada.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 13 | 145 ANSWERS The Great One has incredible words for Blackhawks youngster Connor Bedard Will center Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks make Team Canada? | ||
| Yes | 118 | 81.4 % |
| No | 27 | 18.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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