Amidst the celebrations, however, the absence of Connor Bedard from the scoresheet was glaring. The young star, known for his explosive talent, found himself benched, a decision that raised many eyebrows among fans and analysts alike. Bedard's limited involvement, accruing only 8:08 minutes on the ice, paled in comparison to teammates like
Jared McCann (11:11) and
Dylan Guenther (10:39).