With the season winding down and the Chicago Blackhawks playing for pride, the team captured a 3–2 win against the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars on Saturday afternoon at the United Center. On Sunday, the Hawks returned to the ice for a tangle against the division-rival Minnesota Wild and Calder Trophy candidate Brock Faber. The Wild remain mathematically alive in the wild card chase, but time is running out for them with just five games remaining. The Wild would have to win all five games and have one of Nashville or Vegas lose all of their remaining games in regulation, so needless to say, start booking the tee times in the “State of Hockey.” The Hawks started Arvid Soderblom in goal against the Wild’s Jesper Wallstedt.
First period
The game was scoreless after one with the Wild outshooting the Hawks 13–5 in what was a fairly uneventful opening frame.
Second period
The Wild needed just 66 seconds to scratch the scoresheet. With the Wild on the power play, Kirill Kaprizov scored his 40th of the season. Matthew Boldy made a cross-ice pass to Kaprizov, who was alone on the left face-off dot and fired the puck past Soderblom to give Minnesota a 1–0 lead.
The Wild took a 2–0 lead on Marco Rossi’s 21st of the season. Kaprizov won a board battle and fed Mats Zuccarello, who found a wide-open Rossi to the left of Soderblom. Rossi tapped it in a nearly wide-open cage at the 12:30 mark.
With 1:32 left, the Wild took a 3–0 on Freddy Gaudreau’s fifth of the season. Zach Bogosian retrieved the puck on the half boards and dished it to Gaudreau at the point, who fired one past Soderblom. The Wild took a three-goal lead into the locker room after 40 minutes.
Third period
Kaprizov scored his second of the game and 41st of the season to give the Wild a 4–0 advantage. Faber skated in and made a drop pass to Kaprizov, who was left wide open in the slot, and he sniped one past Soderblom at 8:10. Wallstedt picked up a 24-save shutout for his first career win.
Analysis
Coming off a big win at home over the Dallas Stars, a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, the Hawks returned to the ice 24 hours later with a major letdown against a mediocre Wild team. The Hawks generated very few high-danger chances and had multiple defensive lapses, with a few leading to goals. The Hawks return to the ice on Wednesday night in Missouri against the St. Louis Blues. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. CST on NBCSCH+ with the radio call on WGN 720 AM.
More must-reads: