Connor Bedard debut: Highlights, winners and losers from NHL's opening night

Connor Bedard, who has been anointed for years as a generational talent, made his NHL debut Tuesday night against another generational talent.

Bedard, 18, drafted No. 1 overall by the Chicago Blackhawks, went up against Sidney Crosby, 36, the 2005 No. 1 overall pick, and the Pittsburgh Penguins to start his NHL career. Bedard grew up idolizing Crosby.

Bedard got an assist as the Blackhawks rallied to beat the Penguins 4-2 in the middle game of an NHL opening-night tripleheader. The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Nashville Predators 5-3 in the first game and the Vegas Golden Knights began defense of their first Stanley Cup championship with a 4-1 victory against the Seattle Kraken.

NHL POINTS PROJECTIONS: How will teams finish this season?

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Here are the winners and losers and a recap from the opening night of the NHL's 2023-24 season:

WINNERS

Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks

He got better as the game went on and picked up his first NHL point, an assist. He didn’t score, but he showed that his quick release shot will create issues for NHL goalies. More important, the Blackhawks rallied to beat the Penguins. They were 8-40-3 last season when giving up the first goal of the game.

Nick Paul, Tampa Bay Lightning

He got time on the first power play and scored twice. Both goals were from nearly the same spot in front of the net. The Lightning had the league’s third-best power play last season, and it looked good in the first game. Also a shoutout to goalie Jonas Johansson, who made the saves he needed to make with Andrei Vasilevskiy (back surgery) likely out for two months.

Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators

He missed 32 games last season, part of the reason that the Predators’ playoff streak came to an end. But he was strong in Nashville’s opening loss with two impressive assists. He showed good chemistry with newcomer Ryan O’Reilly.

Vegas Golden Knights

The defending champions had a nice Vegas-style banner raising ceremony, then showed they’re a threat to repeat. Their goal scorers (Chandler Stephenson, Jonathan Marchessault, Ivan Barbashev and Jack Eichel) were the same players who contributed to the Cup win, Mark Stone had two assists and Adin Hill was strong in net. The Golden Knights managed to keep the core players together, outside of Reilly Smith, and it paid off on opening night.

ESPN

The network started a nearly nine-hour day with the bad news that legendary analyst Barry Melrose was retiring as he fights Parkinson’s disease. Their crew put on a strong performance, getting several interviews with Bedard, and aided by exciting hockey featuring two comebacks and a penalty-shot goal. Their tributes to Melrose were touching.

LOSERS

Connor Bedard in the faceoff circle

He went 0-8, including losing a clean draw on the opening faceoff against Sidney Crosby (“I failed miserably,” Bedard told ESPN), in the first two periods. He finished 2-11.

Brandon Tanev, Seattle Kraken

His gaffe led to the Golden Knights’ second goal. Tanev tried to put the puck behind the net but it deflected off Marchessault’s stick and past goalie Philipp Grubauer. Tanev was in the wrong position on the ice to have attempted that play.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins had 17 losses last season when they scored first. They blew a 2-0 lead in the opener and gave up 36 shots to a young team. They need to tighten up defensively if they’re going to get back to the playoffs.

Brett Howden, Golden Knights

He has a hearing with the NHL's player safety department on Wednesday after receiving a match penalty for an illegal check to Tanev’s head during the third period. Vegas was able to kill the five-minute penalty.

Recap of the NHL's opening night

Golden Knights beat Kraken 4-1 in opener

Jack Eichel scored an empty-net goal to seal the 4-1 win. Often a defending champion will lose after raising a championship banner, but the Golden Knights were efficient and showed no sign of a Stanley Cup hangover.

Vegas' Brett Howden ejected for head hit

His hit on Seattle's Brandon Tanev led to a match penalty, meaning an automatic review from the league. Tanev's leg appeared to bend awkwardly as he fell and it took a while before he could stand up. The Golden Knights killed off the penalty, but they were down two players for the rest of the game because William Carrier had left earlier with an upper-body injury.

Golden Knights 3, Kraken 1: End of second

Vegas' Ivan Barbashev scored a breakaway goal after a great outlet pass from Brayden McNabb, and Seattle's Jared McCann made it 3-1. Barbashev was a final-piece acquisition at the trade deadline, fitting in well on the top line, and Vegas signed him to a five-year deal after trading original Golden Knights player Reilly Smith. McCann was a 40-goal scorer last season.

Golden Knights 2, Kraken 0: Gaffe leads to goal

Jonathan Marchessault won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP last season with 13 goals and 25 points. His first goal of the 2023-24 season was an easy one. Seattle's Brandon Tanev was trying to put the puck behind his net, but it deflected off Marchessault's stick and went past Philipp Grubauer for a 2-0 lead. That's the score when the first period ended.

Golden Knights 1, Kraken 0: Chandler Stephenson opens scoring

The Golden Knights were held without a shot for more than seven minutes before Chandler Stephenson connected on a backdoor play.

Adin Hill gets the start for Golden Knights

The Golden Knights used five goalies last season on their way to their Stanley Cup title. Adin Hill, who was the backup to Laurent Brossoit at the start of the playoffs, took over after Brossoit's injury and finished Vegas' run. He got the start Tuesday night, but it will be interesting to see how the team splits goaltending duties with All-Star Logan Thompson healthy again.

Golden Knights banner ceremony has a Vegas touch

Captain Mark Stone carried out the Stanley Cup and then pulled the lever on a giant slot machine. It stopped at three Stanley Cups and the banner came into view and went to the rafters after a team photo. Very Vegas.

The Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in their sixth season. Team owner Bill Foley, who predicted that they would, got to sound the siren before the game.

Blackhawks beat Penguins 4-2 in opener

The Blackhawks shed veterans last season, increased their draft lottery odds and landed generational prospect Connor Bedard. This offseason, they added veterans to aid Bedard's development. It paid off in Tuesday's season-opening win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Bedard played more than 21 minutes and picked up his first NHL point, an assist on Ryan Donato's goal, as the Blackhawks rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win 4-2. Veteran newcomers Corey Perry and Nick Foligno had a hand in Chicago's final two goals.

The rally was a big change from last season when Chicago went 8-40-3 after giving up the first goal of the game.

Blackhawks 3, Penguins 2: Jason Dickinson puts Chicago ahead

That's three unanswered goals for the Blackhawks. Newcomers Corey Perry and Nick Foligno set it up. Perry and Foligno later combined on a Foligno empty-net goal.

Blackhawks 2, Penguins 2: Cole Guttman ties it up

The Blackhawks have tied the game in the third period when Cole Guttman scored off a pass from Seth Jones. He had four goals in 14 games last season after Chicago called him up in February.

Connor Bedard's stats through two periods

In addition to getting an assist in the second period, he's up to 14:53 of ice time for the game, tops among forwards on either team. He has five shots but is still winless in the faceoff circle (0-for-8). He told Sportsnet about his first NHL point: "It's something you want to get your whole life, of course. Obviously giving up that goal with our line, we wanted to get one back for our team."

Penguins 2, Blackhawks 1: Connor Bedard gets first point

Connor Bedard's first NHL point is an assist on a Ryan Donato goal that cut the Penguins' lead to one goal. Bedard made a no-look pass to Alex Vlasic, whose shot was stopped by Tristan Jarry. Donato put in the rebound.

Penguins 2, Blackhawks 0: Sidney Crosby scores

Penguins center Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel worked a nice give-and-go for a Crosby goal. Chicago made a coaches challenge for offsides, but a review ruled that Marcus Pettersson had kept the puck in the zone. The Penguins were awarded a power play, which Chicago killed.

Stanley Cup arrives at Vegas' T-Mobile Arena

The Golden Knights showed off their championship rings as players arrived at T-Mobile Arena to open their defense of last season's Stanley Cup title. They'll raise the banner before their opener against the Seattle Kraken. Keeper of the Cup Phil Pritchard handed off the trophy to captain Mark Stone for the trip down the "gold carpet."

Connor Bedard's stats after one period

Connor Bedard played 6:30 in the first period, including 92 seconds on the power play, and had three shots on goal and several other attempts. He went 0-for-3 in the faceoff circle. He looked more dangerous as the period went on. His assessment to ESPN's Emily Kaplan: "Not bad. I made a couple plays. ... I have to try to get better every period."

Penguins 1, Blackhawks 0: Bryan Rust strikes first

Pittsburgh's Bryan Rust deflected a Kris Letang pass past Chicago goalie Petr Mrazek. The Penguins celebrated but play continued. Once the shot was reviewed, it was declared a good goal at 7:04. Rust has scored in three consecutive Penguins season openers.

Connor Bedard faces off against Sidney Crosby

Connor Bedard grew up idolizing Sidney Crosby, and the two got to face off against each other to start the Chicago Blackhawks-Pittsburgh Penguins game. Referee Kelly Sutherland welcomed Crosby back for another season and welcomed Bedard to the NHL. Crosby won the faceoff cleanly.

Connor Bedard's linemates for opening game

Connor Bedard is centering Taylor Hall and Ryan Donato for his first NHL game. Hall is a former No. 1 overall pick who was acquired from the Boston Bruins to aid Bedard's development.

Connor Bedard nearly forgets stick for warmup

Chicago Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard has thrived when playing against older players. So it's unlikely he was too nervous for his NHL debut. But he did appear to forget his stick as he came out for warmups. He later told ESPN: "I just always kind of leave my stick in a spot and then just kind of walk by it, so I just have to go back."

Lightning beat Predators 5-3 in opener

Nikita Kucherov added an empty-netter to give Tampa Bay the win. It was his second goal of the game. Goalie Jonas Johansson made the saves he needed to make in order to pick up the win with No. 1 goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy out, particularly down the stretch with Nashville pressing. The Lightning power play looks strong again this season with Nick Paul scoring two net-front goals.

Penguins' Jake Guentzel to play in opener

Jake Guentzel had ankle surgery on Aug. 4 and was expected to miss about six games of the regular season. Instead, he'll suit up on his usual line with Sidney Crosby during the opener against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Lightning 4, Predators 3: Nick Paul scores again

Nick Paul scores again on the power play, from nearly the same spot as his first goal of the game.

Predators 3, Lightning 3: Tommy Novak ties it up

The goals are starting to come quickly after a slow first two periods. Tommy Novak beat a screened Jonas Johansson for the tying goal on the power play.

Lightning 3, Predators 2: Brandon Hagel gets penalty-shot goal

Exciting to see a penalty shot in the first game of the NHL season, and Brandon Hagel made the most of it, beating Juuse Saros blocker side. Hagel had signed an eight-year, $52 million extension during the offseason.

Lightning 2, Predators 2: Tampa Bay ties it on power play

Nick Paul got the goal from in front. He is getting a chance on the power play after Alex Killorn left in free agency for the Anaheim Ducks.

Predators 2, Lightning 1: Predators strike quickly

Juuso Parssinen scored 11 seconds into the third period. Again, Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly contributed, with O'Reilly stealing the puck and feeding Forsberg, who make a slick pass.

Predators 1, Lightning 1: End of second period

The Predators turned it around in the second period. They held the Lightning without a shot for nearly the last 15 minutes of the period. After getting only two shots in the first period, Nashville outshot Tampa Bay 14-5.

Predators 1, Lightning 1: Predators' Ryan O'Reilly ties game

Ryan O'Reilly was one of the Predators' big acquisitions this season as Nashville looked to boost its offense. Filip Forsberg set up the goal with a toe drag before feeding O'Reilly in front. That tied the game at 16:15 of the second period.

Predators' Cody Glass leaves game after being hit by shot

Nashville Predators forward Cody Glass was hit in the helmet by teammate Tyson Barrie's shot on the power play. Glass was down on the ice for several minutes while he was checked by a trainer, but got up on his own and was helped to the dressing room. He would later return to the game.

Lightning's Jonas Johansson makes big save

The Nashville Predators put on pressure during a power play with Lightning captain Steven Stamkos in the penalty box. Lightning goalie Jonas Johansson looked good sliding across the crease to rob Roman Josi's rebound attempt. Score remains 1-0 Lightning.

Predators coach Andrew Brunette said team looks nervous

Andrew Brunette, in his first year as Predators coach, said during an in-game interview with ESPN that he thought his team looked nervous. Nashville trails 1-0 at the end of one period and has been heavily outplayed, being outshot 13-2. The Lightning will start the second period on the power play for 90 seconds with Predators captain and top defenseman Roman Josi in the penalty box for slashing.

Lightning take first penalty of the NHL season

Nick Perbix is called for high-sticking Juuso Parssinen. Nashville, which ranked 27th on the power play last season, didn't get a shot.

Lightning 1, Predators 0: Nikita Kucherov gets NHL season's first goal

Nikita Kucherov put the Tampa Bay Lightning up 1-0 at 9:48 of the first period, one-timing a feed from Victor Hedman past Juuse Saros. Kucherov had 30 goals and 113 points last season.

Nashville Predators finally get first shot

The Predators hired coach Andrew Brunette to boost the offense, but the Tampa Bay Lightning controlled the play early. Nashville didn't get its first shot until more than seven minutes into the game. Yakov Trenin's shot was turned away by Jonas Johansson.

NHL lineups today: Predators lines for new coach Andrew Brunette

NHL lineups today: Tampa Bay Lightning to start goalie Jonas Johansson

The Tampa Bay Lightning will be without award-winning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy for about the first two months of the season because of back surgery. The Lightning didn’t claim a goalie on waivers, so they will start the season with Jonas Johansson and Matt Tomkins. Johansson had a strong preseason and is getting the start Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros, as expected, is the Predators' starting goalie.

How can I watch Connor Bedard's debut and the other NHL opening night games?

ESPN will show the following tripleheader on Tuesday night (all times p.m. ET):

Nashville Predators at Tampa Bay Lightning, 5:30

Chicago Blackhawks at Pittsburgh Penguins, 8

Seattle Kraken at Vegas Golden Knights, 10:30

The games will be streamed on ESPN+.

ESPN analyst Barry Melrose diagnosed with Parkinson's disease

NHL analyst Barry Melrose has Parkinson's disease and will be retiring from ESPN, the network announced Tuesday.

"I've had over 50 extraordinary years playing, coaching and analyzing the world's greatest game, hockey. It's now time to hang up my skates and focus on my health, my family, including my supportive wife Cindy, and whatever comes next," Melrose said in a statement.

The 67-year-old Melrose joined the network in 1996 and left for a brief period in June 2008 to accept the Tampa Bay Lightning's head coaching job. Before joining ESPN, he coached the Los Angeles Kings and led them to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final in his first season, losing in five games to the Montreal Canadiens. -- Scooby Axson

Will Connor Bedard win rookie of the year?

Our panelists give their favorites for the Calder Trophy and other awards, plus predict how many points Bedard will get. But Bedard has plenty of competition, including Arizona's Logan Cooley and Columbus' Adam Fantilli.

How have other recent No. 1 picks fared during their NHL debuts?

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews got off to a great start with four goals in his opening game in 2016 and ended up winning rookie of the year. Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin had two goals in 2005, won the Calder Trophy and is second overall in all-time goals. Crosby had an assist in his 2005 debut, finished the season with 102 points and has won three Stanley Cup titles. Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid didn't get a point until his third game but has gone on to win the Hart Trophy (MVP to his team) three times. Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had two assists in his 2013 debut.

How will teams finish during the regular season?

The Penguins (16 seasons) and Predators (eight seasons) are trying to get back to the playoffs after their lengthy postseason streaks came to an end last season. Will they make it? Check out our 2023-24 points projections.

Who won the offseason?

The Penguins were among the busiest teams in the offseason, adding Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson and Stanley Cup winner Reilly Smith. New general manager Kyle Dubas also changed up the bottom six forwards, an issue last season. What grade did they get? How about the other 31 teams? Check out our offseason report card.