Blackhawks' Luke Richardson reveals conversation he had with Connor Bedard about his defensive errors leading to goals in Stars rout

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Jan 02, 2024 16:49 GMT

The Chicago Blackhawks faced a challenging night as they were dominated 8-1 by the Dallas Stars, with the spotlight on young star Connor Bedard and his defensive performance. Blackhawks' head coach Luke Richardson revealed insights into a conversation he had with Bedard, shedding light on the defensive errors that contributed to the team's struggles.

Richardson, a seasoned professional in both playing and coaching, offered constructive feedback to Bedard at the first interval. Richardson highlighted a specific instance where Bedard's offensive instincts led him behind the net when he should have been supporting the defense in front, resulting in a goal for the Stars.

According to Sun Times reporter Ben Pope, Richardson said:

"The second goal, it started in the O-zone. We talked about it, we have to be on top of them, and that was Connor going behind the net when he's got to be on top of his D in front of the net, who ended up scoring a goal."

Richardson emphasized the importance of trust in teammates and advised Connor Bedard not to attempt to regain everything in a single shift.

"I think he wants to get it back right away and he's used to doing that, but I brought him in after the first period [and told him] you can't get everything back in one shift," Richardson added. "You've just got to get back to playing on top of them and trusting your other players to turn pucks over."

Despite Connor Bedard hitting the post in the first period and displaying offensive potential, Richardson cautioned against going rogue and disrupting the team's defensive structure, as witnessed in the lead-up to the third goal.

"You're going to get chances. Like the one he hit the post on in the first period. Instead of, we can't go rogue on our own and try to beat everybody up the ice," Richardson added. "[Him doing that before the third goal] got everybody else off, and we're in scramble mode at that point in our D-zone. This team is too good for that. Dallas, they just feed off of that."

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Connor Bedard and Blackhawks dominated by the Stars

The game itself saw Mason Marchment shine for the Stars, securing a hat trick and contributing to the team's season-high eight goals. Dallas demonstrated dominance early on, matching their season high for first-period goals and maintaining control throughout. Chicago's struggles continued, with 11 consecutive road losses and a challenging season overall.

Bedard, the 18-year-old star, contributed an assist on a power-play goal in the third period, showcasing his offensive capabilities. However, the Blackhawks faced an uphill battle, and veteran Nick Foligno expressed the need for a shift in the team's approach, emphasizing that the current style is not conducive to success.