Connor Bedard's first hat trick sends Blackhawks past Senators

Connor Bedard netted his first career hat trick as part of a four-point night as the host Chicago Blackhawks topped the Ottawa Senators 7-3 on Tuesday.

Spencer Knight stopped 21 shots to earn his third straight win and help the Blackhawks build momentum entering a season-high six-game road trip.

Louis Crevier and Frank Nazar each had a goal and assist as Chicago improved to 5-1-1 in its past seven games. Colton Dach and Ryan Donato also scored, and Nick Foligno and Andre Burakovsky collected two assists apiece.

Tim Stutzle logged a goal and an assist for the Senators, who were outshot 26-24 as their three-game winning streak ended. Jake Sanderson and Michael Amadio also tallied, Drake Batherson posted two assists and Linus Ullmark stopped 19 shots.

Ottawa sputtered on offense to start the night, looking scarcely like the club that outscored the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins by a combined 14-3 in its previous two games.

While the Senators stifled the Blackhawks on the other end of the ice -- not surrendering double-digit shots until 5:25 remained in the second period -- Chicago scored four times on its first nine shots.

Bedard's first tally came on a power play at 17:53 of the first period. Bedard took a feed from Andre Burakovsky and wristed a shot from the right circle past Ullmark for a 3-0 lead.

Bedard struck again at 2:58 of the second, skating from the Chicago zone through the Ottawa defense before beating Ullmark on a snap shot from the high slot to make it 4-0.

Ottawa responded two minutes later, starting a barrage of three goals in 3:33. Sanderson's blast from the point caromed off the end boards before ricocheting off Knight and into the net.

Amadio scored next, maneuvering behind the goal before elevating the puck over Knight. The Senators drew within 4-3 at 8:31 of the second when Stutzle finished a 2-on-1 after Ottawa won a battle in the neutral zone.

Foligno and Nazar had a short-handed 2-on-0 opportunity midway through the period, but Nazar shot wide near the crease.

It hardly hindered the Blackhawks, who tallied three goals in the third. Bedard, who was selected with the top pick of the 2023 draft, secured a hat trick at 3:46, gathering the puck off a faceoff win and scoring from the left circle for a 5-3 edge.

Bedard, 20, had five multigoal games in 159 previous NHL contests.

Donato buried a rebound less than five minutes later, and Nazar scored a short-handed empty-netter at 12:44.

--Field Level Media