DETROIT — On the Blackhawks‘ long-awaited flight home Sunday night, Connor Bedard can look down not only at the Michigan countryside but also at the entire NHL.
Another three Bedard points in the Hawks’ 5-1 win over the Red Wings moved the Hawks’ star forward into the league scoring lead with 25 points in 16 games this season.
Bedard now sits one point ahead of San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and two points ahead of Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson atop the leaderboard. Considering three of those four guys can’t legally drink in the United States, hockey’s next generation of stars has clearly arrived in force.
He sniped a power-play goal 58 seconds into the game Sunday to give the Hawks an early lead, then added two assists during the third period as they ran up the score.
This six-game road trip was one for the ages for Bedard. He racked up 13 points during it, including four multi-point performances. He’ll now return to the United Center, where he recorded a hat trick in his last outing.
CONNOR BEDARD SNIPE ALERT 🚨
Just 59 seconds into the game! pic.twitter.com/ejGrAAji8r
— NHL (@NHL) November 9, 2025
Soderblom’s stop
Out of Hawks goalie Arvid Soderblom’s career-high 45 saves Sunday, one stood out in his mind above the rest: a sturdy right-pad stop on his brother, Red Wings forward Elmer Soderblom, during the second period.
It was their first time facing each other in the regular season. Due to the matinee start time of 1 p.m. ET, their family back home in Sweden was able to watch live, too.
“When you’re younger, you’re playing on the street, playing in the basement, and now you’re here at the biggest stage in the world,” Arvid said. “That’s special, for sure. [It’s] something that both of us will remember for a long time.”
SODERBLOM STOPS SODERBLOM 👀
A huge save by Arvid on his brother, Elmer! pic.twitter.com/SjbJKAkAYI
— NHL (@NHL) November 9, 2025
Soderblom’s objective best save, however, was a sliding toe stop on Dylan Larkin on a rush in the second period.
His and Spencer Knight’s success this season has been massive for the Hawks; their .921 team save percentage now leads the league.
Moore’s milestone
When Oliver Moore got robbed — not once but twice — on a breakaway by Wings goalie John Gibson during the first period, a bit of doubt popped into the brain of the rookie forward searching for his first NHL goal.
“I was thinking, ‘If I don’t score after that, something’s wrong,'” Moore said. “The hockey gods don’t love me.”
Fortunately, their love came later. With 16 seconds left in a lopsided game, Moore found a soft spot in the slot and ripped a centering pass by Ryan Donato past Gibson, recording his first NHL goal after all.
“It feels like a weight off the shoulders,” he said. “[It] just reminds you of all the people that got you to this point. It’s all about the guys in here making it easy for me to come in. If we keep playing winning hockey, hopefully it’s the first of many.”
FIRST NHL GOAL FOR OLIVER MOORE 🚨
And what a feed from Ryan Donato! pic.twitter.com/FMSsTcYmxX
— NHL (@NHL) November 9, 2025
Moore’s scrappiness has made a consistent impact in his first four NHL appearances of the season, and winning indeed seems to follow him. Between the IceHogs and Hawks, the two teams are a combined 9-4-0 with him in the lineup.
Nazar’s reset
Frank Nazar was considered a game-time decision Sunday, but that decision ended up being “out” after he tested things during warmups.
Still, the Hawks are thankful it’s not a major injury. Blashill implied Nazar will likely return Wednesday against the Devils.
A brief reset might actually help Nazar, since he had cooled off — failing to record a point in five consecutive games — before getting banged up Friday in Calgary.
