Return of Teravainen has been money for Blackhawks

EDMONTON — Teuvo Teravainen has fitted the Chicago Blackhawks to a T in his return to the NHL club that originally drafted him.

Teravainen had two goals and two assists and linemate Connor Bedard had a goal and two assists as the Blackhawks captured their first victory of the young season, stunning the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 on Saturday.

The 30-year-old Finnish forward now has three goals and two assists in his first three games since rejoining the Hawks as a free-agent signing after spending the last eight years with the Carolina Hurricanes. He was traded to the Canes from Chicago in the summer of 2016.

“We played a good team game tonight,” said Teravainen, who was drafted 18th overall by Chicago in 2012. “They lost their first one too, so we knew they were going to go hard on us today. We played good defence, we battle for the pucks, blocking shot and (goalie Petr Mrazek) was good and (we played) simple road hockey.

“We were just trying to make plays. We had been watching video and talking about what’s been going good and what’s been going wrong, so just better plays today."

Mrazek made 36 saves to preserve the victory.

“He was unbelievable, and he really held it down in net there and we have to give him credit,” said Bedard.

Second-year Blackhawk Bedard won the Clash of the Connor’s, recording three points to give him five on the season, while Edmonton’s Connor McDavid was held to a single assist, his lone point of the campaign.

Chicago head coach Luke Richardson was pleased with his team’s effort.

“I thought we were very determined, stuck to the game plan that we had been doing and since that first period of the first game. It was very consistent which I like,” he said. “I thought the guys hung in there tight against a really, strong powerful offensive team and obviously Petr was great for us again in the net.”

While things are looking up in Chicago, that is not the case for the Oilers, who are off to another tough start. Corey Perry and Leon Draisaitl scored for the Oilers, who fell to 0-2 after making it all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final last season before losing out to the Florida Panthers.

Edmonton has been outscored 11-2 in its first two games and is desperate to avoid something similar to last season when they got off to a dreadful 2-9-1 start that ended up costing coach Jay Woodcroft his job.

“We did not like the position we were in last year after the start and we don’t want to find ourselves in that again,” said Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who recorded his 700th NHL point on the night.

“We know what’s at stake. It is important right now and we have to find a way to bounce back.”

Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard allowed five goals on 20 shots.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2024.