Wild edge Blackhawks to halt 4-game skid
Dec 23, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi (23) shoots as Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic (72) defends during the second period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images Brock Faber scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, and the Minnesota Wild held on for a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night in Saint Paul, Minn.
Kirill Kaprizov, Jared Spurgeon and Marcus Foligno each added one goal for Minnesota, which snapped a four-game losing streak. The Wild improved to 13-0-1 in their past 14 games against the Blackhawks.
Connor Bedard, Nick Foligno and Jason Dickinson each scored for Chicago. The Blackhawks lost their second straight game after winning the previous three in a row.
Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson returned from a lower-body injury that sidelined him for the past five games. He turned aside 28 of 31 shots to earn the victory.
Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom allowed three goals on 26 shots.
Faber put the Wild on top 3-2 with 17:17 remaining in the third period. He fired a one-timer from the high slot to beat Soderblom, who was screened in front of the net.
Marcus Foligno added an empty-net goal to make it 4-2 for the Wild with 1:24 remaining.
The Blackhawks kept their net empty in favor of an extra attacker, and Dickinson capitalized with a goal to cut the deficit to 4-3 in the final minute. That proved to be the last score as the Wild preserved their one-goal lead for the final 33 seconds.
Chicago opened the scoring 6:47 into the first period. Bedard took advantage of a giveaway by the Wild, faked a wrist shot and slid a backhand shot past Gustavsson.
Kaprizov answered with his team-leading 23rd goal for Minnesota to even the score at 1-all at the 11:11 mark of the first period. Marco Rossi and Mats Zuccarello each tallied an assist.
The Blackhawks regained a 2-1 lead with 13:44 left in the second period. Foligno punched in a rebound after Gustavsson denied an initial shot by Frank Nazar.
Forty-nine seconds later, the Wild answered to even the score at 2-all. Spurgeon collected the puck in the left circle and lifted a backhand shot past Soderblom's glove side.
--Field Level Media
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