The Chicago Blackhawks will see a familiar face return to the lineup on Friday when they host the Washington Capitals.
Star forward Connor Bedard has been cleared to return from a 12-game absence due to an upper-body injury.
“I feel good,” Bedard said following the Blackhawks’ morning skate. “Obviously, it’s not fun kind of waiting and not being able to play, so it’s exciting.”
Bedard, 20, has been sidelined since he was hurt while taking a faceoff with one second remaining in Chicago’s 3-2 loss at the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 12. He was left holding his right shoulder after being knocked over by Blues center Brayden Schenn.
“It’s obviously a huge boost,” Blackhawks assistant coach Mike Vellucci said. “He’s a big part of our team and he was playing really well before he got injured. We’re excited to have him back.”
Chicago brings a season-high four-game winning streak into Friday’s meeting with the Capitals, who know firsthand what the jelling Blackhawks can do.
Backed by 32 saves from Spencer Knight and captain Nick Foligno’s goal in the sixth round of a shootout, Chicago won 3-2 in Washington on Saturday.
The surge continued with Wednesday’s 7-3 home rout of the Blues.
Washington fell to 3-5-2 in its past 10 games with a 4-1 home loss to Dallas on Wednesday.
“This month is so critical for our team, and so, I feel like even though it is January and Game 43, it’s all hands on deck right now for our group,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said.
Injuries have slowed the Capitals lately, although top scorer Tom Wilson, out with a lower-body injury since the first period Saturday, will travel with the club on its upcoming trip to Chicago and Nashville.
Superstar captain Alex Ovechkin, Washington’s second-leading scorer this season, tallied the lone goal against Dallas as Carbery bemoaned an ineffective attack he has challenged to be less stagnant.
“When you get there, and you can’t find your way to the net or get a puck in there and now everything is on the perimeter and a lot of it was delayed, we try to go up top and they get a ‘tick’ on that puck. So there, your shift’s over,” Carbery said. “You go down low, you cut back and you can’t make that next play out of that area. Shift’s over.”
Defensemen John Carlson, who earned an assist on the Ovechkin goal, has collected points in consecutive games after a five-game point drought.
Chicago is 5-6-1 without Bedard, who still holds the club points lead by 10 over Tyler Bertuzzi. Bedard attributes his strong start to growing maturity and the skill around him.
“Kind of that understanding of the schedule and not taking every game like too much and just having fun with it,” Bedard said. “Our team has been playing great and I’m fortunate to play with a lot of great players, and I think we’ve just been reading off each other well.”
–Field Level Media
