Blackhawks star Connor Bedard makes his season debut in victory over Penguins

CHICAGO (AP) — It took all of one game for Connor Bedard to provide a reminder of his importance to the Chicago Blackhawks.Bedard had a successful season debut Tuesday night, helping Chicago to a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 21-year-old center recorded a primary assist in the first period and showed promising chemistry while playing alongside Patrick Kane and Roman Kantserov.It was Bedard's first game since he had surgery on his left shoulder on July 8.“Just to be back out there ... it’s what I live for,” he said. “And it was just so much fun.”Chicago was outscored 26-12 while dropping five of its first six games without Bedard, who had a team-high 45 assists and 75 points last season. The Blackhawks managed a total of three goals in their previous two games before the victory over the Penguins.Bedard got hurt while skating with a group of NHL players in Western Canada this summer. After the operation, the team said he would be sidelined for approximately four months.“