Connor Bedard tallied his second career hat trick and Oliver Moore had a goal and assist to lift the surging Chicago Blackhawks to a 5-2 home win against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night.
Chicago won for the fifth time in six games and has collected 11 of 12 possible points over that span.
Though held to 0-for-4 on the power play, the Blackhawks made the most of their chances while outshooting Calgary 23-21.
The Flames have lost five of six and remained stuck on an NHL-low 13 points.
Bedard notched the go-ahead goal at 4:57 of the third period. It came less than two minutes after the Flames’ Rasmus Andersson beat Chicago goaltender Arvid Soderblom with a wrist shot from the right circle with the Blackhawks unable to clear the zone.
Bedard responded from the corresponding right circle, taking a feed from Ryan Greene and sending a snap shot over the left shoulder of Flames goalie Dustin Wolf. He notched a hat trick with 40 seconds left, scoring an empty-net goal from deep in the Chicago zone.
He also scored three goals against the Ottawa Senators in a 7-3 home win on Oct. 28.
Bedard, in his third season, served as an alternate captain for the first time in his career amid various injuries. Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno was placed on injured reserve with a left-hand injury this week and Jason Dickinson (shoulder) remained out of the lineup.
Chicago’s Ryan Donato netted the game’s first goal at 15:05 of the first period after corralling a rebound in the right circle and ripping a wrist shot.
The Blackhawks extended their lead to two goals at 15:11 of the second. Sam Rinzel flipped an area pass from the defensive zone and Bedard darted down the left side to poke it in the net as Wolf couldn’t handle the rolling puck.
Calgary drew within 2-1 with 28 seconds remaining in the second period, as Matt Coronato scored a power-play goal. Positioned just outside the crease, Coronato slid the puck past Soderblom after Nazem Kadri sent a pass from the low right circle.
Chicago restored a two-goal lead at 13:04 of the third. Moore rushed the net and lost possession of the puck but was credited with the tally after it caromed off multiple skates.
Andersson had two points for the Flames. Soderblom made 19 saves and Wolf had 18.
Chicago improved to 2-0 against Calgary this season. The Blackhawks blanked the host Flames 4-0 on Nov. 7.
–Field Level Media
