Windy City Wrap Up: Star players return from injury

Chicago sports saw a successful week as key players like Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Blackhawks center Connor Bedard made their way off the injured list. The Chicago Bulls finished out the preseason with two wins. 

Williams was welcomed back to the Bears for a 31-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons this week after missing three games with a torn hamstring. He managed a successful game, completing 30 out of 36 passes and 305 total yards. 

He started the game off by throwing a pass to tight end Colston Loveland for a touchdown with eight minutes remaining in the first quarter. A rush from running back D’Andre Swift put the Bears up 14-0 against the Falcons to end the first quarter. 

The Falcons scored their first points of the game in the second quarter after a 13-yard touchdown by wide receiver Jahan Dotson. The Bears scored quickly after with another rush from Swift, giving the Bears a 21-7 lead over Atlanta going into halftime.

No points were scored in the third quarter until the last two minutes, when running back Roschon Johnson scored a touchdown from a four-yard rush. 

Kicker Cairo Santos started off the fourth quarter with a 50-yard field goal to secure a 31-7 lead over the Falcons. He also scored all three extra points of the game for the Bears. 

Within the last ten minutes of the quarter, the Falcons held the Bears and almost came back after scoring two touchdowns and having two successful two-point conversion attempts. 

Tight end Kyle Pitts caught both touchdowns from quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to score. Catches from wide receivers Zachariah Branch and Drake London resulted in four extra points before the game ended 31-23, with the Bears taking the win. 

The Bears return to Soldier Field to take on the New England Patriots Oct. 22 at 7:15 p.m. 

Bedard debuted his season Oct. 13 in the Blackhawks game with a 5-3 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins after being out with a left shoulder injury. Center Tuevo Teravainen and right wing Roman Kantersov each had two goals. Goalie Spencer Knight made 24 saves for the Blackhawks while Penguins goalie Sergio Murashov made 15 saves. 

Teravainen scored within the first 30 seconds of the game after an assist from center Anton Frondell. Pittsburgh Center Sidney Crosby scored his first goal of the season for the Penguins in the sixth minute of the first period to tie it at one. Kantersov scored in the 17th minute after an assist from Bedard to put the Blackhawks up 2-1 at the end of the first period. 

Each team scored one goal in the second period. Kantersov started it off in the 10th minute, putting the Blackhawks ahead 3-1. Penguin’s left wing Nick Robertson scored in the 17th minute to end the period and shorten Chicago’s lead. 

Crosby tied the game in the ninth minute of the third period, but Tervainen scored in the 15th to widen the Blackhawks’ 4-3 lead. Left wing Tyler Burtuzzi scored in the last minute of the game to secure the win for the Blackhawks 5-3. 

The Blackhawks won their second game of the week Oct. 15 against the Winnipeg Jets. 

An eventful first period put the Blackhawks at a 3-1 lead. Bedard scored the first goal of the game in the eighth minute during a Chicago power play. 

Chicago scored again after center Frank Nazar scored a goal in the 15th minute. Defenseman Neal Pionk scored shortly after in the 16th minute for the Jets’ first goal of the game. Chicago’s center Ryan Donato scored 14 seconds later to end the first period of the game. 

The left wings helped bring the Jets back to tie the game, with Kyle Connor scoring in the second period and Alex Ialfallo scoring in the third, holding the Blackhawks to end the game at three. Defenseman Artyom Levshunov scored at 1:37 in overtime to win the game for the Blackhawks 4-3. 

The Blackhawks ended the week at home Oct. 17 with a 4-0 loss against the Dallas Stars. Stars goalie Jake Oettinger had 19 saves while Knight had 28. 

No goals were scored until the end of the fourth minute of the second period, when left wing Stars Jason Robertson got the game started. In the 14th minute, Stars right wing Arttu Hyry scored, giving the Stars a 2-0 lead over the Blackhawks to end the second period. 

The Stars held the Blackhawks the entirety of the third period, scoring two more goals. Hyry had his second of the game in the first minute, and center Roope Hintz scored the last goal of the game in the ninth minute to secure the win 4-0. 

The Blackhawks continue their home stretch with a game against the Montreal Canadiens Oct. 23.