Connor Bedard picks up an assist in his NHL debut as the Blackhawks rally past Crosby, Penguins 4-2

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Connor Bedard skated into the faceoff circle, saw one of his idols standing across from him and tried to soak in the moment.

That really was Sidney Crosby within arm's reach. That really was referee Kelly Sutherland welcoming him to the NHL on national television. That really was a sellout crowd pulling cameras out trying to capture the meeting of two generational talents at opposite ends of their careers.

Then the puck dropped, and the instincts that have made the 18-year-old Bedard the NHL's next big thing kicked in.

Playing with a charismatic fearlessness, Bedard dazzled in Chicago's 4-2 comeback win over Crosby and the Penguins on Tuesday night.