RECAP: Bedard's Overtime Goal Lifts Blackhawks Past Mammoth

Connor Bedard scored at 3:57 of overtime to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 3-2 victory against the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday.

Alex Vlasic's shot from the high slot hit the goal post, and Bedard snapped in the rebound from the left side.

“It’s fun,” Bedard said. “It’s fun playing on the road, especially when you win.”

Frank Nazar and Tyler Bertuzzi each had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks (25-29-11). Spencer Knight made 29 saves after missing three games because of illness.

Chicago defeated Utah twice in four days, also winning 3-2 in overtime at United Center on Monday, and went 4-0-0 against the Mammoth this season.

“I think every game we play these guys is pretty intense and pretty good hockey,” Bedard said. “It feels great to beat them every time. It’s a division rival. We don’t like them, they don’t like us. It’s a good feeling, but we’ve just got to kind of keep it rolling and just keep fighting.”

Karel Vejmelka made 20 saves for the Mammoth (34-26-6), who are 0-1-2 in their past three games.

“Not the result we wanted, but we played a [heck] of a game,” Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny said. “We hit, we were physical, we were fast. We generated a lot of offense. We actually had 33 shot attempts from the slot, probably our highest of the season.

“But we're in that stage where we need to find a way to get two points, no doubt. But as well, we got a big point, and we played a [heck] of a game. I liked the way we played, and if we play like that, the result will follow. Proud of the guys, proud of the effort. The attitude on the bench, chatting in the room, four lines going, four lines buying pressure and being tough to play against. Other than the score, there's not much I didn't like.”

After a scoreless first period, Dylan Guenther gave the Mammoth a 1-0 lead at 5:47 of the second period. Logan Cooley carried the puck up the ice after a turnover by Chicago’s Andre Burakovsky and passed across to Guenther, who put the puck over Knight’s right shoulder from the right face-off circle.

Bertuzzi tied it at 2:18 of the third period with the Blackhawks on a 4-on-3 power play. Bertuzzi moved to the right side of the crease and redirected a pass from Bedard from the left face-off dot.

“I think everyone’s digging in,” Bertuzzi said. “Obviously, guys have bigger roles now (after the NHL Trade Deadline), and they’re jumping into spots they haven’t been in before, and they’re doing great, all the young guys. I think the D-corps has done a really good job the last five games, playing hard and making good plays.”

Nazar gave Chicago its first lead, 2-1, at 9:17. Bertuzzi's shot from the right circle rebounded off Vejmelka. Teuvo Teravainen kicked the rebounded puck over to Nazar, who swept it in from the left post after circling the net. Nazar extended his point streak to five games (three goals, five assists).

“I think his play has warranted the opportunities he’s getting,” Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said of Nazar. “He’s skated hard. He’s won more puck battles. The big thing for him is just making sure he has the puck a lot, and when he has it, to skate with it.”

JJ Peterka tied the game 2-2 at 13:45. Michael Carcone stripped Vlasic of the puck in the offensive zone and passed over to Peterka, who put it between Knight's pads from the right circle.

“I think we just worked hard, outworked them on the first goal,” Peterka said. “(Carcone) did a hell of a job just backchecking, stripping the guy, so I think that was the main goal of getting in the game, just working hard for each other.”

NOTES: Blackhawks defenseman Wyatt Kaiser sustained an apparent upper-body injury late in the third period during a collision with Carcone. Blashill said he did not want to speculate on whether Kaiser would be able to play at the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. … Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev returned to the Mammoth lineup after missing four games with a lower-body injury. He played a team-high 26:31, had an assist and was plus-1.