Chicago Blackhawks prodigy Connor Bedard returned to action this Thursday night in a 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The 18-year-old forward has been inactive since January 5 after breaking his jaw in a matchup against the New Jersey Devils.
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Despite this absence, Bedard is still the Hawks' scoring leader. The right-hander added an assist to his performance in the game against the Pens. He was actually partly to blame for Philipp Kurashev's success in the second third.
The point allowed Bedard to overtake Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber and secure the No. 1 spot in the National Hockey League (NHL) first-year player rankings. He now has 15 goals and 19 assists for 34 points in 40 games.
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For the Penguins, it was Sidney Crosby who hosted the show. The captain of the Pittsburgh team scored two goals and reached the 30-goal mark this season. This is the 12th time in 19 NHL seasons that he has scored at least 30 goals.
Other scorers for the winners were Reilly Smith and Bryan Rust, while Marcus Pettersson and Rickard Rakell each provided two assists.
The Blackhawks and Bedard will return to action on Saturday when the Ottawa Senators visit the United Center. The Penguins face the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday.