Connor Bedard’s highlight reel goal shook the hockey world in Vegas

The Chicago Blackhawks were hoping to take that next step out of their rebuild this season. A lot of that would rely on how the younger players perform. Picking up wins only gets easier when Connor Bedard is on a tear like he is this season. Entering Tuesday night, Bedard had 16 goals and 21 assists, which has helped lead the Blackhawks to an 11-9-5 record, putting them firmly in the playoff mix.

On Tuesday night, Bedard tried his best to help build a winning streak for the Blackhawks, especially since their previous victory over the Anaheim Ducks ended a five-game losing streak. Bedard attempted to play the role of hero in the third period against the Vegas Golden Knights. Bedard had a breakaway opportunity on a pass from Andre Burakovsky. Bedard skated past Mark Stone, deked out Shea Theodore and ripped a hard shot over the right shoulder of Carter Hart for the goal.

Take a look for yourselves in case you missed it. Or, for those of you who saw it, want to watch the clip again.

The goal not only sent Blackhawks fans into a frenzy, but it also caught the attention and dropped the jaws of those across the hockey world.

Hockey world left in shock and awe

There was a reason why NHL fans were making allegations the draft lottery "rigged" when the Blackhawks secured the first overall pick in 2023. They knew how good of a player Bedard was, as he was one of the most highly-praised players to enter the draft since Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid. The first two years were rough for Bedard, as the Blackhawks didn't have a roster capable to provide him some help. After all, they did finish near the bottom of the Central Division for his first two seasons.

But this season, Bedard has taken his game to the next level, and is playing a pivotal role in the Blackhawks' early season success.

This goal wasn't the only highlight play that Bedard secured in Vegas. As the two teams went into the shootout, Bedard showed off his puck control and finding a way to confuse Hart enough to leave the five hole open. Words do not do the shootout goal justice, so we'll just leave it here for you.

Unfortunately, Bedard's heroics weren't enough, as the Blackhawks lost 4-3 after a game-winning goal in the shootout by Theodore.

There is a youth movement across the NHL, as the emergence of young stars like Bedard, Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks, and Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks are three of the NHL's highest point scorers as of this writing. Make no mistake about it, Blackhawks games are fun to watch, just like they were during the dynasty years in the 2010s.