The Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks weren’t supposed to matter much this season. But both teams have flipped early expectations on their head. Anaheim looks like a genuine contender and sits tied with the Los Angeles Kings for first in the Pacific Dvision, while Chicago has clawed its way into the thick of the Central Division race and sits tied with the Utah Mamoth in fourth.
The Central, by the way, has turned into an outright gauntlet. Three of the league’s top five teams are in it, including the league-leading Colorado Avalanche, the relentless Dallas Stars, and the streaking Minnesota Wild. Those three teams have posted an absurd 25-1-4 combined record over their last 10 games.
Now back to the Blackhawks and Ducks. All of a sudden, a matchup between two rebuilding franchises has real weight again, and their latest meeting delivered some spice!
The game couldn’t have started better for Anaheim. Cutter Gauthier and Olen Zellweger scored on two of the Ducks’ first three shots, jumping out to a 2–0 lead just 47 seconds in. Chris Kreider added another to make it 3–0 by the 10:25 mark. The Ducks were in complete control, but then all of a sudden everything flipped.
Tyler Bertuzzi put Chicago on the board with a late first-period power-play goal, deflecting a shot to cut the deficit to 3–1. Ryan Greene added another at 6:43 of the second off a slick 2-on-1 with Connor Bedard. Suddenly, the Hawks had life.
Colton Dach tied it 3–3 on another power-play strike at 12:34 of the second. United Center roared to life. Momentum shifted. And the Ducks, who once led by three, suddenly found themselves chasing. From there, Bedard took over.
The rookie star factored in four of Chicago’s five unanswered goals, including the game-winner at 9:55 of the third — a smooth crease-front move after an Anaheim turnover (video below). Ville Husso, who had entered the game just 44 seconds earlier due to Petr Mrazek’s injury, never had a chance.
The FIRST shot Ville Husso had to face coming on in relief was a 1-on-1 with Connor Bedard 😭😵💫 pic.twitter.com/CEdFLjPsEG
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) November 30, 2025
Bedard later buried an empty-netter with 1:55 left to seal the 5–3 comeback win, making Chicago just the fifth team in NHL history to win after falling behind 2–0 in the opening minute.
Before Bedard scored his empty-net dagger, he and Mason McTavish exchanged words at the faceoff circle. Bedard then chirped the Ducks bench after scoring, and when the final horn sounded, the two young stars got tangled in a heated post-game scuffle.
Given the moment, most expected Bedard to come out firing afterward. Instead, he surprised everyone. In his post-game media scrum, Bedard had nothing but praise for McTavish:
“We’re pretty close, actually. That’s who he is, he’s someone who always wants to compete. I was roommates with him, I was on the same team with him for a couple years, and everything we do, he’s trying to make it a competition. Such a great player, such a good competitor. He’s a fun guy to play against. Obviously fun to go at it with him. I’ll probably say hi to him right now. But it’s fun to play guys like that.”
Bedard and McTavish go at it after the horn and chaos breaks out in Chicago 💥 pic.twitter.com/9gGi4UY6sb
— SleeperNHL (@SleeperNHL) November 30, 2025
For a teenager leading a franchise, it was a moment of genuine maturity — acknowledging the battle without creating drama, and embracing the rivalry while respecting the player across from him.
Chicago’s comeback said plenty about the team. Bedard’s comments said even more about the player. He competes, he battles, he scores, but he also understands the league’s unwritten code — and he carries himself like someone who has been here far longer than a few seasons.
Connor Bedard factored on four of his team’s five unanswered goals as the @NHLBlackhawks rallied from a 3-0 deficit to defeat Anaheim.#NHLStats: https://t.co/8qL3XmvH6A pic.twitter.com/hspfuTkkUm
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) November 30, 2025
For Bedard, nights like this are becoming less of a surprise and more of a pattern. With 16 goals, 21 assists, and 37 points in 25 games, he’s now tied with Macklin Celebrini for second in the NHL, both of them chasing Nathan MacKinnon as he continues to set the early pace.
If Bedard stays anywhere near this level, his 82-game projection of 52 goals and 121 points becomes more than just a number — it becomes a glimpse of what Chicago hoped he could be when they drafted him first overall.
The Hawks don’t need him to be perfect, just constant. And right now, he’s giving them that. Games get tougher, pressure gets louder, but Bedard keeps pushing, keeps producing, and keeps showing that this rebuild has a centerpiece worth believing in.