Just when we thought the Chicago Blackhawks were over the flu bug that ran amok in their locker room over the weekend, it claimed one more victim before puck drop. Those who were hoping for the Connor vs Connor match-up were bummed to learn that Connor Bedard would not play against the Edmonton Oilers because of illness. We had to settle for Connor Murphy vs Connor McDavid, instead.
The Blackhawks have plenty of experience playing without Bedard and have found success with a simple, predictable style of hockey. There wasn’t enough of that kind of hockey played, especially in the first period, in a 4-1 loss to the Oilers.