PRESS CONFERENCES: Connor Bedard, Jeff Blashill, Oliver Moore, Ryan Donato HAT TRICK NIGHT!

PRESS CONFERENCES: Connor Bedard, Jeff Blashill, Oliver Moore, Ryan Donato HAT TRICK NIGHT!

with that shot from a bit away. Yeah. Um I think if anyone obviously goes out there for for the abandator um with a chance they can get a obviously not going to force it but you know I felt good um in that spot to shoot that one. So obviously I turned it over before too. So just wanted to make sure to ice the game and uh fortunately went in. How would you describe your first two goals? Um I mean the first one was extremely lucky. Um I think obviously he’d probably want that one back. just kind of a weird play. Um happens to go in and then second one. It’s a great play by everyone else like um Kaisy makes a great play, Barry gets it in. Uh and then Greener makes a beautiful pass and I was able to kind of just get on net, try to try to get it by him and and it goes in. So um obviously any goals um made by other people. So uh they did a lot of work on on that one and and the first one as well. Renie makes a great play. The first one I mean is that an example of how the work you did on your speed sort of pays off basically? Um, yeah, I guess it can be. Um, you know, like I said, it’s a lucky goal in a sense, but I guess I got there. So, um, you know, I guess that can that can feel good, uh, in some ways, for sure. Is that you’re you’re wearing the A tonight. I mean, is that a leadership thing, too? I mean, hustling all the way down in a play that, you know, it’s probably swept away, but putting that effort in kind of shows an example. I mean, if I didn’t have an A, I think I would have tried to do the same. You know, you know what I like it is a leadership position. Uh yeah, I think so. I think all of our guys are, you know, hunting that puck. That’s a that’s the thing about our team is, you know, we’re not going to make any play easy and and I think that could have been a very nothing play uh that ended up. But, you know, I just happened to be the guy out there that um all, you know, 11 12 or four dressing that night are going to make the same effort, which is which is why we’re having success right now. What did it mean to wear that for for the first time in a regular season? It’s great for sure. I think, you know, I’ve been so fortunate to learn from from guys uh like Fliggy, Dicky, Murf, all those guys that um have been leaders in our room and um obviously the Blackhawks jersey in general is such a special thing and and there’s been a lot of great players that you have a letter on their chest and and it’s a great honor and something that, you know, I don’t take likely lightly, no one would take lightly. So, um you know, it’s cool for sure. How different is is the mood around here and just, you know, comparing the first two first two seasons right now. My name’s Nasty. Uh yeah, I guess as an example. Uh yeah, it’s been fun. Um we’re obviously early 19 games in, but uh it’s just it’s just been a lot of fun. We’re we’re so determined to go out there and win. And you know, even today we give up a goal to obviously get get them back in the game. End of the second, right at the start of the third, they score. That’s something that can deflate a team, but we go right back out there. We get another one, then we get another one. So, uh, we’re just really determined. We’re having a lot of fun together. We we love each other and we, um, we want to play for each other. So, that that, uh, shows a lot. To go over and be talking to the refs after that hit on Murphy was, I guess, what was that like? And kind of fulfilling the duties of the A right away. Yeah, the refs were way nicer to me today. Way nicer. Uh, I didn’t get kicked out of a draw for the first time in my career. No. It was uh it was good. I think you uh you know you watch guys go over there and you always I mean I always have something to say to the ref. So uh it was fun and you know it’s um it’s good little things, little added responsibilities that you appreciate. Uh obviously it’s not a big thing but it’s good I guess. Was the conversation different? They were just nice like um no it was pretty chill. I was kind of just arguing our side of um what we saw obviously was dirty hit. um you know, I think he had time to kind of come back off it and um straight to the head. So, you don’t want to see that from anyone in the game. Um you know, and and that’s kind of what we saw and obviously they saw something different. Murf goes down. It’s a quick hockey game and and stuff happens, but but we we thought he could have kind of held up and knocked on directly to the head. So, um that’s kind of all we were saying and then they’re going to argue their side. superlatives to describe what Conor Badard is doing lately. It just it’s you know what I like the most about it is the consistency in his approach and and um you know points do come and go. know, for a guy like him, they they they come more than they go, but like uh um his consistency and his in his approach has been really good. And I think the fact that he’s um you know, come and competed and stopped on pucks and played pretty good defensively and and really try to do the right things and on a consistent basis. Um you know, and then he gets rewarded for that with offense over the over the stretch that he’s been kind of going. So, it’s it’s a great thing. He’s a as we talked about, he’s a very very talented player. Um but but what makes him a winning hockey player is his approach and tonight wearing the A. Does that make a difference too in his game? Well, I don’t know that it makes a difference or it’s going to change his, you know, um his game or the way that that he looks at things. Um the biggest thing for me was, you know, we had we had lost two two uh two guys that wore letters obviously with Fleig and Dicki and so we needed someone and and ultimately um he he earned it. He’s earned that that that opportunity. One of the things we talked about at the beginning of the year is making sure we earn things that that we’re not entitled to success. We’re not entitled to wear a letter. Uh we’re not entitled to any of that stuff. And and in his case, he has absolutely earned it. He’s earned it. And when I talked when I told uh uh you know different people around the team today, everybody said the same thing. It makes total sense and he’s totally earned it because he’s earned it with his approach every day and how committed he’s been to winning hockey. that that first goal where he hustles all the way down. Is that example of the approach you’re talking about? A play that, you know, some guys may have not gone as hard as he does trying to make something happen there. Yeah, no doubt. And and he’s just he’s just uh you know, I think he’s he’s been skating good all season. Um you know, he’s he’s not quitting on any plays. He’s not cheating for offense. Um you know, and and and he’s fast enough that that uh where he doesn’t need to cheat for that offense. And I think he’s he’s realized that. And um so that you know, and It’s it’s all those kind of things combined. His defensive play, all that stuff. Uh that that’s been really impressive. How much does the versatility of guys like Donado and Green help, especially when you get offense from him tonight, but being able to move them, you know, you know, the dot and off? Yeah, you know, I I would say in both cases, like I think, you know, Green’s spent a lot of his time playing hockey at center. Now he’s playing wing. Um made an unreal play on on Connor’s second goal. Like a really elite pass I thought. Um Dano’s, you know, played both, but he certainly probably played a lot of wing in his career and even, you know, the beginning of this year now. We’ve we’ve flipped him to center and he’s done a good job with that and he’s bought into that. And um you know, we need that versatility right now. Honestly, I played Docker at center a decent amount tonight. Um you know, kind of flipping him in that in that line with Laferty and Slags. And um you know, when you miss it, when you lose a guy like Flicky, you need just guys that can, you know, as you’re doubling up guys, you need guys that can kind of move in in the middle. And so, uh, you know, I thought he did a good job with that as well. So, all those guys versatility, I think, has been a big thing. And Nazar seem to be clicking pretty well together. They actually, uh, do play well together. They’re they’re um, you know, they both are speed players and and they both kind of play the same way, I guess I’d say. And, um, so they get into foot races and and obviously both of them are very, very fast. Um, so they can put opponents on their heels. Um, you know, I thought I thought Mo made a number of really good plays early. Um, set guys up for chances for um, but I I do like their chemistry together. I think they’ve definitely played well together. Sam Renzel back in the lineup after being scratched on Saturday. Know you talked about kind of wanting to get back to basics with him. How do you think he fared in that aspect and overall? Well, I thought he was assertive, you know, in his game. I thought he skated. Um, him and I looked at some clips from the last from last year and this year where he’s been an elite player in the league. Um and and as I said to him and I think I said to you guys like you know we’re not hoping he can do it. We’ve seen it and and he did it you know at times tonight where he was was really skiing with the puck was assertive with it. Um I thought he was conscious of of uh uh trouble when there was trouble that that was potential. He was on the right side of the puck. So those are all the things that he’s just got to keep working on. But I thought he it was a good first step back uh you know after being scratched and uh to score that first one at home and obviously thought it was an insurance goal too. It’s obviously great feeling exactly the way you drew it off. Yeah. I mean I was talking to DJ our equipment manager. We thought Connor should have probably put that one in on his uh forehand last the first one and I just put in on the forehand for mine. So it was good. This game is kind of a taffy pool for 40 minutes. What changes? Uh, what’s a taffy pool? Tight checking. Okay. Yeah, it vocabulary news. Uh, yeah, it was definitely I mean I think the shots are like 8 to seven in the second period or something like that looking up at it. But I mean those are the type of games that you need to need to win and I think that our team can win a lot of ways. I think we’ve shown that so far. But uh on to the next one. What about the speed that you and Frank show makes your goals look easy? Yeah, it’s definitely not easy, but we uh I think we feed off each other well. Uh you know, the speed that we can play with, like you said, and um he’s a fun guy just to be around, be on the bench with, and um yeah, I mean, he’s obviously a heck of a player and so easy to play with him. Him and Turbo have been have been great. So, can you say about what Bard’s been able to do? Two hatticks. I mean, some guys wait for a while for that. that he’s had to in the past month. Yeah, pretty average. I’d say honestly like it’s not uncharacteristic. I think what he’s doing right now is is huge and it’s obviously huge for our team, but it’s something that he can keep doing. I think the the way he’s playing both sides of the puck, it’s it’s leadership and uh for me, for guys like me coming in here and watching him play right now, it’s it’s encouraging for sure. He had the A on tonight, too. Yeah. Yeah. I think he he obviously earns it. Uh he deserves it and Oh, yeah. to have him laugh was funny. But it’s like he’s 6 months younger than me or an assistant assistant captain letter. So it’s pretty it’s pretty cool though and I mean he deserves a six game point I guess. What’s the balance between kind of focusing on the next game and also living in the moment? Yeah. Yeah, for sure. I mean it’s an every night league. I think that’s the one thing I’m learning here. I’m only seven games in, but uh definitely you can’t take your foot off the pedal. Each game is a new challenge and each opponent’s a different, you know, you got to come with different stuff. And I think that, you know, our team every every game we just kind of reset and we want to earn a win every night. Guard a lot, but he makes it pretty difficult not to talk about. What can you say about what he’s been? I don’t know if he’s listening to me or not, but obviously uh he’s been huge for us. Uh stepped up again tonight and you know, I’m going to wait for him to leave. Not the stars too much. Yeah, he’ll be back. Obviously, that’s what stars do, right? He’s he he had an amazing game and um yeah, it’s fun to watch and he’s obviously stepping up and had the letter on tonight so it was fun and you know that’s what leaders do and he’s doing a great job of it and hopefully uh you know continues to do the right things like that. How much is it also with him you know I mean he had a lot of put on his shoulders at the age of 18 and just growing into the league, growing into his game, growing into everything. Yeah. No, I don’t think uh there’s a lot of guys in the league that could uh say they’ve had the same experiences, you know, as he has. Um obviously he’s got a lot more pressure than a lot of people in this league. And uh you wouldn’t know it if you were on the team with him. He’s I mean fun to be around the locker room and uh one of the hardest workers. So it’s uh obviously contagious and no he doesn’t let anybody know and uh you know that’s what the best guys do and he’s really you know obviously coming into his own right now. But you got it started tonight. How would you describe your goal? H I don’t know. I feel like I’ve been whiffing on a lot of pucks and uh you know, like I said, you pray for those opportunities that the puck finds you at the right place and you know, sometimes it does and it’s just not going in and uh you know, you got to continue to you know, try to play the right way and you know, bear down and um you know, a couple guys made a really uh some nice plays there and uh I was fortunate to uh have it come to me in the sloper. You guys have points in the last six games. How different does this feel right now? It’s awesome. I mean, um, you try not to dwell too much on the past, obviously, but I think, uh, you know, guys have had a taste of both now and, uh, they see how fun it is when you’re winning and how contagious it is and, um, yeah, it’s a completely, you know, different atmosphere in the locker room and, you know, the young guys keep it light and, uh, no, it’s super fun to be around right now. We talked this morning about you being primarily a center tonight. How do you feel like that went? Um, I don’t know. I mean, I I think I got to watch some of the clips, obviously. I think, you know, structural wise, good. I think I could do obviously better on draws. I don’t even know what I was at. Probably not very good. But I was taking a lot on my offside tonight and, you know, those are things that, you know, it doesn’t just happen overnight. You got to continue to, you know, work on those. And, uh, you know, I’ll be working on those after practice and, you know, making sure I’m doing those right things. But, you know, like I said, I like to be a guy that, you know, can be put in different spots in different situations. And, you know, that’s what the lineup needs right now. So, I I want to be, you know, reliable and hopefully I can continue to, you know, be structural wise good, but also, you know, win some faceoffs. see seemed like it was a tough kind of a tough game to get any flow at least through the first two periods. Did it feel like that way to you guys and maybe that them tying it kind of sparked you guys early in the third to okay, let’s get her going here. Yeah, maybe. I think that, you know, you got to be on every night. It’s an everyday league. I think, you know, obviously we’re feeling good and all that stuff’s great in the locker room and all the, you know, fun things that come with winning, right? But I think it’s not just, you know, you can’t dwell on the past, right? you know, if we if we lost tonight, I think the, you know, feeling in the locker room would be obviously very much different. And I think uh I think guys are understanding that that you have to do it every night. It’s not just, you know, one night you have a good night and you can kind of sit back and relax. Like teams are too good in this league. And obviously, you know, they came back and, you know, put a good effort in. And I think the difference is is, you know, we’re stepping up after that and continuing to, you know, push and not sit back and, you know, find ways to win games. Dating back to last year, I feel like there’s been a lot of incidents with the Flames in terms of questionable hits and rough stuff. Is there some tension in this rivalry right now? I don’t know. It’s so hard to say, right? Obviously, there’s been things that have happened, but um you know, obviously I think, you know, that’s up for a lot of those other guys to watch the videos, watch that. I didn’t even see the hit. I just, you know, saw what happened after. And um you know, it’s tough, but you know, they’re a team that plays hard. Obviously, they’re, you know, struggling a little bit and, you know, things can get nasty pretty quickly and I think, you know, guys aren’t trying away from it right now and I think that’s great for us, but we got to continue to find ways to win games and continue to play nasty, too. And um yeah, it’s definitely fun to be a part of, but you got to be careful at the same

Watch the Chicago Blackhawks press conferences following their win against the Calgary Flames, featuring Connor Bedard, Jeff Blashill, Oliver Moore, and Ryan Donato. Bedard reacts to his hat trick performance and breaks down the keys to the Blackhawks’ big night. Hear coaching insight, player takeaways, and full postgame analysis straight from the locker room.