Connor Bedard doesn’t hold back, delivers blunt verdict on Kings after Blackhawks’ deflating loss

Connor Bedard finally broke his goal drought, but it wasn’t enough to lift the Chicago Blackhawks to a win. The 19-year-old phenom netted his third goal of the 2025–26 NHL season, giving fans early hope at the United Center.

Yet, the Los Angeles Kings proved too disciplined, rallying for a 3-1 victory that halted Chicago’s momentum. After the game, Bedard didn’t hold back, offering a surprisingly candid take on the Kings’ style of play.

Connor Bedard calls out Kings’ “boring” playstyle

Bedard’s first-period strike — though not the prettiest — momentarily reignited excitement for the Blackhawks. But as the game unfolded, Los Angeles smothered Chicago’s offense with suffocating defense and patience.

The rookie sensation, visibly frustrated, spoke honestly about the matchup.

“[The LA Kings] play really boring. It’s not like a dig or anything. They sit back a lot and make it hard to get zone entries,” Bedard said postgame per Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope and NHL.com. “We started off the game pretty well. Our power play was terrible… and they used that [momentum]. And then in the second we were trying to do too much sometimes maybe.

They fed off that, and we couldn’t obviously get it back in the third.

”His words reflected both honesty and youthful fire — a player unwilling to sugarcoat what he saw. Despite the loss, Bedard’s authenticity continues to win over Chicago fans who value transparency as much as talent.

Jeff Blashill echoes Bedard’s frustration

While head coach Jeff Blashill chose a more measured tone, his postgame remarks carried a similar message. “I thought we played really good in the first and probably could’ve been up by two goals,” Blashill told the Chicago Tribune.

“We self-inflicted a little bit in the second period, in terms of puck management and we made the game less direct. It was less predictable to ourselves.”Both Bedard and Blashill pinpointed the same issue — poor puck management and loss of structure midway through the contest. The coach’s comments also hinted at a silver lining: a young team learning accountability together.With the Ottawa Senators up next, the Blackhawks will need to turn self-awareness into execution. For Bedard, breaking the goal drought is a good start. But as his words show, he’s far more interested in sparking wins than headlines.Also Read: Sidney Crosby hits incredible 1,700-point milestone, joining hockey’s most elite list in historic Penguins moment