Blackhawks' Bedard admits frustration amid 11-game goal drought

The cracks might be starting to show for Connor Bedard.

Mired in an 11-game goal drought, the 2023 No. 1 draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks admitted it has been a "tough stretch."

"You just feel like you don't have it or whatever and you lose a bit of confidence. It goes on, obviously it's been a little bit for me. So like I said, just kinda keep going every game, keep trying to be the best me and hopefully things gotta come," he told reporters on Friday.

Bedard also acknowledged that his offensive slump has been "frustrating."

The North Vancouver, B.C., native entered the NHL with a reputation for goal-scoring, and lived up to the hype with 22 markers in 68 games en route to winning the Calder Trophy in his rookie campaign last year. In 20 games this season, he has three goals and 12 assists.

Bedard was asked what he thinks he could do better to snap out of the funk.

"I mean, I could name a hundred things, but I don't know man, it's been frustrating for sure and I just don't feel like I'm really doing anything. So just keep chipping away at it, I guess, and hopefully find my game again," he said.

The 19-year-old spent the Blackhawks' Thursday game on a line alongside defensive forwards Jason Dickinson and Joey Anderson, and the trio was tasked with checking the Florida Panthers' top line led by Aleksander Barkov.

Bedard said it was an opportunity for him to help the team outside of the scoreboard — and the move paid off in a 3-1 win.

"I'm not doing much offensively at all, so I gotta find a different way to be productive," the young winger said.

Head coach Luke Richardson praised Bedard's defensive play against the Panthers.

"He had two great plays the game before and he was probably on two or three of our defensive clips last game," Richardson said. "I think when you do those (things), pucks are gonna come back around you because you're always in the right spots. And we've talked about that."

Richardson said the decision to put Bedard in a checking role was a result of the team's lack of scoring prowess. Chicago sits tied for 29th in the NHL with 48 goals on the season.

"We didn't bring him here to be a checker. But just the way our team has a lack of scoring, we were hunkering down on the defensive side until we start getting more power-play opportunities and start maybe potting a few goals and getting a little confidence offensively back," he said.

It's that confidence that seems to be abandoning Bedard right now — and Richardson said it's not an isolated problem.

"I think that's running through our dressing room rapidly right now, and when you see it once, that's kind of the word that's in your mind to use in, let's say, an interview or question-answer type of thing because it is partly the truth," he said.

Bedard scored 51 and 71 goals in each of his final two years in the WHL before making the leap to the Blackhawks.

There's a chance the current 11-game goal slump is the longest of his hockey life.

"He's probably not used to that," Richardson said.

Chicago wraps a three-game road trip in Philadelphia on Saturday, and only two teams have allowed fewer goals than the Flyers' 71 before Friday night's slate.