TAKEAWAYS: Bedard Scores Overtime Winner in Win Over Jets

Coming off the NHL holiday break, Connor Bedard helped the Chicago Blackhawks secure a 2-1 victory against the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night. 

The Jets entered the matchup with an 8-1-1 record in their last 10 games and after the Blackhawks endured a tough loss against the St. Louis Blues before the break. Despite a slow start to the contest, Bedard felt that Chicago stuck to their game plan against a strong team like Winnipeg. 

“It was a competitive game,” Bedard said. “They're a really good team and they play the right way. We had to really stick with it and it's good to pull out the two points, for sure.”

While the Jets outshot the Blackhawks 38-25, Bedard found his first goal of the night late in the first period. The Blackhawks struggled to find their first shot on net until late in the first before Bedard notched the goal to make it 1-0. 

Bedard and head coach Luke Richardson both praised Petr Mrazek for his performance in between the pipes that helped the team remain in the game. By the end of the night, the veteran goaltender made 37 shots off 38 shots faced. 

“The first period wasn't pretty, but the goal helped us out a little bit and then it got us going,” Mrazek said. 

Throughout the first half of games, Blackhawks players commended Mrazek’s performance, who earned his ninth win this season. 

With an overtime goal to seal the win for Chicago, Richardson noted how the team found a way to support Mrazek and earn him another victory. 

“Peter has been great for us all year,” Richardson said. “I think getting him that goal in overtime was really deserving because he kept us in there tonight, for sure.”

With players like Bedard, Mrazek and even Jason Dickinson, they all performed at high levels throughout the last few matchups and showed some consistent patterns in their most recent victories. 

“A couple of guys that have been playing really well, that have been standouts for us and helping with almost every win that we've had is a common trend in them stepping up and taking over in certain aspects of the game,” Connor Murphy said. 

After Wednesday’s win, the team will embark on a five-game road trip that starts in Dallas on Friday night.