Spencer Knight, Connor Bedard help Blackhawks pound Flames despite Frank Nazar’s injury

On Wednesday, Spencer Knight came within four minutes of recording the Blackhawks‘ first shutout in nearly two years. On Friday, he lasted all the way.

Knight made 33 saves and Connor Bedard racked up four points to power the Hawks to a 4-0 road victory over the last-place Flames, although a Frank Nazar injury somewhat dampened the excitement.

The young goaltender continued his stupendous start to the season with another sharp performance that he made look easier than it probably was. He made 11 saves just on Flames forward Matt Coronato, who couldn’t believe what he was seeing by the 11th time.

Knight is now 6-3-2 with a .926 save percentage — in a season where the NHL average save percentage sits below .900 — and he now leads the league with 10.5 goals saved above average, per Natural Stat Trick. His shutout marked the Hawks’ first since Petr Mrazek blanked the Ducks on Dec. 7, 2023.

It’s Bedard who will receive the lion’s share of the attention, though, as he too enjoyed one of the finest games of his young career and continued his scorching-hot streak. The Hawks, who led just 1-0 at the second intermission, broke things open in the final frame because of him.

Bedard recorded three primary assists — two to almost-as-hot Tyler Bertuzzi — before adding a cherry on top with a beautiful late goal, stripping Flames forward Morgan Frost to create a breakaway and then baffling goalie Dustin Wolf with a slick move.

With 22 points in 15 games, Bedard briefly tied Macklin Celebrini for the NHL scoring lead, although Celebrini pulled back ahead less than an hour later.

Injury drama

Nazar fell awkwardly after a subtle cross-check by Flames forward Joel Farabee in the first period, and he appeared to be struggling to push himself up with his left leg afterward.

Nazar did not return to the game, but coach Jeff Blashill gave reporters in Calgary an encouraging update later, describing him as just day-to-day. Team trainers will get a better sense of his timeline based on how he feels Saturday.

That event started a chain reaction of hits and subsequent fights. Colton Dach fought Farabee, then Alex Vlasic fought Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar after he laid a hit on Oliver Moore, then Flames defenseman Joel Hanley fought Nick Foligno after Foligno laid hits on Flames youngsters Zayne Parekh and Connor Zary — knocking Parekh out of the game.

This tension may have been brewing since last winter, when Flames forward Martin Pospisil — who has a reputation for dirtiness — crushed both Nazar and Taylor Hall with questionable hits in games a few weeks apart. Pospisil wasn’t in the lineup Friday and hasn’t played yet this season due to an injury of his own.

Parity reigns

Although the Hawks are more competitive this season, so is everyone else who previously occupied the NHL basement with them.

Parity has reigned. The league’s second-place team (the Devils, with 20 points) and second-to-last-place team (the Blues, with 12 points) are separated by just eight points.

In the Eastern Conference, first and last place are separated by just six points, with every single team touting at least as many wins as regulation losses. The Penguins, which many models projected to be the East’s worst team, boast a 9-4-2 record. The Red Wings, whom the Hawks will travel long-distance to face Sunday, are a surprising 9-6-0.

In the West, the Ducks’ explosive offense has carried them to a sparkling 9-3-1 record, and Celebrini’s heroics have lifted up the Sharks, too. The 7-5-3 Hawks’ win Friday nonetheless moved them back into a playoff spot, and they’re just four points behind the Avalanche for first place.

Conventional hockey wisdom suggests the standings hierarchy is largely settled by Thanksgiving, but it doesn’t seem like that will be the case this year — which should be great for entertainment and drama.