Chicago Blackhawks come up short against New Jersey Devils as Anders Sorensen defends remaining calm on disputed no-call to Connor Bedard

The Chicago Blackhawks fell 5-3 to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday evening, but one of the hottest subjects of conversation throughout the night wasn't the final result—it was the no-call on Connor Bedard in a critical moment in the second period. Even with the questionable officiating, Blackhawks team coach Anders Sorensen did not get into screaming arguments with the referees.


After a resounding victory against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Blackhawks were hoping to achieve back-to-back wins—a streak they had not achieved in nearly a month. The Devils, however, soon put them on the back foot.
“I just don’t know what to gain out of it,” Sorensen said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. "(The referees have) made their call; they’re probably not going to change it. You can try to talk to them in TV timeouts to get an explanation that way instead. Coming across yelling is probably not going to help the situation, right? (I) try to build a relationship and talk to them. I think that will go a longer way down the road.”
The decision to stay cool rather than engage with officials could have infuriated fans, but Sorensen believes being in good books with referees will prove beneficial in the long run.
The second period was characterized by momentum swings, including the goal by Ilya Mikheyev that kept Chicago in contention. Controversy, though, ensued when Simon Nemec seemed to push Connor Bedard into the boards, prompting Landon Slaggert to intervene. Rather than even-strength offsetting penalties, only Slaggert was sent to the box, which resulted in a Devils' power-play goal that put it up 4-2. The crowd at home protested, but the call held.
Frank Nazar scored late in the third period to close the Blackhawks within a goal, but an empty-netter from New Jersey closed the door on their chances.

With their 21-42-9 record, the Blackhawks are still far from being consistent. But now, they have an even more difficult task waiting as they prepare to take on the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday.
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Whereas Chicago has every now and again displayed glimpses of resistance to elite teams, they'll need a nearly flawless effort to defeat the reigning Stanley Cup champions.