Blackhawks' Connor Bedard, Oilers' Connor McDavid meet for 1st time

 

[December 12, 2023]  Former No. 1 overall picks Connor Bedard and Connor McDavid meet for the first time on Tuesday as the Edmonton Oilers look to extend their winning streak to eight games when they host the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Oilers extended the NHL's longest active winning streak to seven on Sunday with a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. The streak of consecutive victories is Edmonton's longest since its franchise-record-tying nine-game streak to close out last season.

"I don't think anyone's gone through a seven-game winning streak without good goaltending," Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. "Your special teams have to be good, and I think each night we've won the special-teams battle or at least tied it, and then, the goaltending has been really rock solid. Any team that has success needs good goaltending."

During the streak, the Oilers rank first in goals per game (4.86), goals against (1.71) and power-play efficiency (43.5 percent). Edmonton's penalty kill ranks second (95.8 percent).

Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard extended his point streak to 11 games in Sunday's win. Bouchard has five goals and 11 assists during the streak, tied for second longest by a defenseman in Oilers history, trailing Paul Coffey's 28-game run in 1985-86.

"(He) is really hot right now. He's playing so well for us," Edmonton defenseman Vincent Desharnais said. "Even defensively, he's playing really well. So, it's really positive, it's fun, it's so much more fun to come in every day and put in the work and be consistent with it when you win like that."

Goaltender Stuart Skinner is 10-7-1 in 19 games, posting a 3.03 goals-against average and a .887 save percentage.

McDavid, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft, extended his point streak to nine in Sunday's win.

Bedard, selected first in the 2023 draft, enters Tuesday's contest riding a nine-game road point streak.

The Blackhawks center leads the team and NHL rookies with 11 goals and 12 assists in 27 games. The 18-year-old contributed two assists in Chicago's 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals on Sunday.

Chicago saw its winning streak halted at two with the loss. The Blackhawks wrapped up a four-game homestand 2-1-1, picking up points in three games.

"We need points. We need wins. I will say I thought we had more of our sustained game in this homestand, so that was good to see," Chicago left winger Nick Foligno said. "Our identity came out a lot more, so that's a step in the right direction.

"Still a long ways to go, but we can rally around the fact that our game is starting to come, and we're seeing it more and more. Especially on the road now, in two tough buildings, we're going to make sure it's there more than ever."

Chicago recalled defenseman Filip Roos from the AHL's Rockford IceHogs on Monday and placed blue-liner Jarred Tinordi (concussion) on injured reserve retroactive to last Tuesday. Roos appeared in 17 games with the Blackhawks last season, contributing one goal and two assists.

Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato has missed two straight games due to illness.

Chicago netminder Petr Mrazek is 7-8-0 with a 3.03 GAA and a .912 save percentage.

--Field Level Media

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