CHICAGO (AP) — Connor Bedard had three goals and an assist in his first career hat trick, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Ottawa Senators 7-3 on Tuesday night.
Frank Nazar and defenceman Louis Crevier each had a goal and an assist for Chicago in its third win in four games. Ryan Donato and Colton Dach also scored.
Bedard took Ryan Greene’s short pass and whipped a 25-foot wrist shot past Linus Ullmark for a 5-3 Chicago lead 3:46 into the final period. It completed his first NHL hat trick in his 160th career game on a night when he became only the seventh Blackhawks player to score at least 50 goals before turning 21.
Ottawa had won three in a row. Tim Stutzle had a goal and an assist for the Senators, and Jake Sanderson also scored.
Bedard’s exploits made up for the Blackhawks’ second-period swoon, when they allowed three goals on as many shots in 3:33, letting the Senators back into the game.
Sanderson beat Spencer Knight on a 55-foot slap shot that caromed off the end boards and Knight’s left elbow. Michael Amadio got his second of the season at 7:09, and Stutzle made it 4-3 with a wrist shot from the right circle at 8:31.
The Blackhawks had built a 4-0 lead on Dach’s rebound shot off a Crevier drive, followed by a Crevier goal that caromed off Ottawa’s Nikolas Matinpalo, and Bedard’s first two goals, the first on a power play, the second a wrist shot past Ullmark 2:58 into the second period.
Knight stopped 21 shots, and Ullmark made 19 saves.
Chicago captain Nick Foligno reached 600 career points with his assist on Dach’s goal.
UP NEXT
Senators: Host the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
Blackhawks: Visit the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Tim Cronin, The Associated Press
