Connor Bedard Responds After Brutal Analysis On TNT

The Chicago Blackhawks are ahead of only the San Jose Sharks in the standings this season, and while no one expected them to be world-beaters, the lack of improvement in Year Two of the Connor Bedard era might be making fans a little nervous.

And one of the biggest problems this season — oddly enough — has been the play of Bedard himself.

Sure, he's got 46 points through 53 games and that's solid, what has become clear is that Bedard's game needs to be refined.

We all know he has the skills. He just needs to continue learning how to play at the NHL level.

This was broken down well on Wednesday night by TNT analyst and toughest guy in Scottsdale Paul Bissonette during the broadcast for the Blackhawks' game against the Edmonton Oilers.

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Bissonnette and the rest of the panel — including host Liam McHugh and ex-NHLers Anson Carter and Henrik Lundqvist — talked about how Bedard and the Blackhawks need to play "winning hockey" or they're going to stay in the slump the franchise has been in for a few years now.

This discussion was also complained by clips of Bedard coughing up the puck and making some weak passes.

"There's so many little details to his game that he's lacking right now," Bissonnette said. "Yes, he might put up 30 to 35 goals a season and get his 50 to 55 assists by playing power play and getting all these minutes, but they're going to continue to lose hockey games if that's how he's playing." 

He then said Bedard was playing "pond hockey."

This of course got back to Bedard, who, to his credit, has not shied away from criticism or being critical of his play this season.

"I know if I mess up a play, Bedard said. "And like I said, it's their job to point that out or to say how they feel about something. If I make a mistake, I know. So I don't need to watch a TNT broadcast to figure out if I made a mistake. I’m going to know."

I'm sure Bedard will get his game cleaned up on this front, it just may not be as soon as Blackhawks fans would like.