It didn’t take long for Connor Bedard and Patrick Kane to make an impact on the Chicago Blackhawks. In their first time playing together on the same line, they made plays all night long and helped the Hawks snap a losing streak in the 2026-27 NHL season.
Still, after the win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, head coach Jeff Blahill reminded his star duo not to take any shortcuts and play the game the right way. If Bedard, Kane, and Chicago want to keep the wins coming, they can’t afford to cut any corners. In the NHL, teams must fight for every inch of the ice and second of possession.
The Blackhawks are no exception, and in fact this is only magnified for them as they lack the offensive firepower and depth other teams boast. Thus, an all-out forechecking effort is required, and the duo of Bedard and Kane, along with rookie linemate Roman Kantserov, aren’t exempt. In case it wasn’t clear by now, Blashill reminded them after the win at home over Pittsburgh.
“When [Kane, Bedard, and Kantserov] check for their offense, they’re going to be really good. They’ve got to make sure they don’t cheat for offense,” Blashill said after the 5-3 win against the Penguins at United Center, via Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Connor Bedard #98 of the Chicago Blackhawks.
New Chicago with Bedard back
During Bedard’s season debut, the Blackhawks finally showed signs of life in the 2026-27 NHL campaign. Bedard will be the first to take credit away from him and give it to the rest of the lineup, but that’s not completely true. There’s a reason Chicago hadn’t looked a bit like it did with Bedard back when it was missing its captain.
With his return to the ice, the Blackhawks can finally say the season is underway. Better late than never, and even if it took a long summer and seven games, the Hawks are finally complete with their star back, and shining in full force. The top line of Bedard, Kane, and Kantserov hadn’t played a single minute together, but they looked like they had been together for years. Blashill believes they have already found their identity.
“Roman [Kantserov] is very happy going to the net, so you still have a guy who will go to the net on the line. Because sometimes those kind of lines get too spread out and you don’t get any plays at the net. They did a pretty good job of doing that,” Blashill commented on the top forwards’ line.
Blashill preaches shoot-first mentality
Though the win at home over the Penguins is definitely a strong indicator of what this team can do with Bedard healthy, Blashill would still like the team to fix some areas of their game. That’s not limited to the top forward line but the whole group.
“We passed up a ton of shots. We had opportunities when we could really strike and attack and we didn’t shoot,” Blashill stated after the game.
What’s next for Blackhawks?
Hoping his Hawks will take the instructions to heart and clean up their issues, Chicago will host the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 15. Having snapped their two-game losing streak and won their second game in seven outings, the Blackhawks have reason to be excited again. Finally, No. 98 is back, and it showed.
Key takeaways
- Chicago Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill warned Connor Bedard and Patrick Kane not to cheat offense.
- Chicago beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 at United Center following a two-game losing streak.
- The Blackhawks will host the Winnipeg Jets on October 15 for their next home game.
