Nikita Zadorov and Connor Bedard are sharing the ice today as the Blackhawks and Bruins play, and the matchup is drawing attention.
The game is live right now at TD Garden's intermission count: Chicago at Boston is in the first intermission, and the score isn't something to guess at here.
Conor Ryan summed up the Zadorov and Bedard matchup in one dry line on Saturday, suggesting it's going about as well as anyone would expect. Look at the physical gap and he's right.
Zadorov is listed at 6'7 and 255 pounds. Bedard is listed at 5'10 and 190 pounds. That's a 7-inch, 65-pound difference every time they cross paths.
Zadorov brings 33 penalty minutes through 13 games this season, along with a +6 rating. He has no goals and four assists. His career PIM total sits at 1031 over 817 games.
Bedard is dealing with a rough week for his team. He was bloodied after a blindside hit from Phillip Danault on October 23, and he's hunting for offense in a lineup that has scored 27 goals all year.
He has 3 goals and 4 assists in 7 games this season, with a -2 rating. One of those goals came on the power play, and he has two power-play assists as well.
Blackhawks are running out of road wins to find
The bigger problem for Chicago is the standings. The Blackhawks are 4-9-0, 31st in the NHL, and they're 0-5-0 on the road.
That's the backdrop for this trip to Boston. Jeff Blashill already called Thursday's 4-1 loss in Detroit a step backwards, according to Jeff Blashill's criticism after the Detroit loss, and a sixth straight road setback would only sharpen that message.
Conor Ryan noted that Zadorov against Bedard was always going to be a tough watch for the Blackhawks' star.
-
Boston has its own issue. The Bruins are 9-4-1 and lead the Atlantic, but they've lost two straight, including a 4-1 defeat at St. Louis on Thursday. Marco Sturm's team has a +18 goal differential and wants to stop the slide.
Chicago's goal differential is -21, with 48 goals against. That's the gap between the two teams, and it explains why a heavy defenseman matching up with a skilled center draws so much interest.
Both teams are back in action Monday. The Blackhawks host Colorado, and the Bruins host Vegas.
Should the Blackhawks protect Connor Bedard from Nikita Zadorov-style physical play by sheltering his minutes on the road?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Five teams will not be in on Nikita Kucherov trade, per report
