Overview
- Connor Bedard played about 17 minutes with four shots in his first game after a 12-game absence for a separated right shoulder but was held without a point.
- Washington ended Chicago’s four-game win streak with a 5-1 win, getting goals from Anthony Beauvillier, Connor McMichael, Ethen Frank, Justin Sourdif and Alex Ovechkin.
- Drew Commesso made 19 saves in his second career NHL start after regular goalies Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom were scratched due to illness; Ilya Mikheyev and Louis Crevier also sat.
- Chicago managed Bedard’s workload by having Oliver Moore and Ryan Greene take all faceoffs as the team protects his shoulder following the Dec. 12 injury.
- Despite the loss, Bedard remains the Blackhawks’ points leader with 44 in 31 games, and he could still be considered for Team Canada as an injury replacement for the Olympics.