Sabres - The Buffalo News
National Hockey League
Minnesota 4, Chicago 3
When: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, December 23, 2024
Where: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota
Referees: Tom Chmielewski, Chris Lee
Linesmen: Tyson Baker, Kyle Flemington
Attendance: 19067

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 previous four 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 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 snap shot past Gustavsson.

Kaprizov answered with his team-leading 23rd goal of the season 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 on the play.

The Blackhawks grabbed a 2-1 lead with 13:44 left in the second period. Nick 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

Top Game Performances
 
Chicago   Minnesota
Taylor Hall 2 Points Yakov Trenin 2
Connor Bedard 1 Goals Brock Faber 1
Taylor Hall 2 Assists Yakov Trenin 2
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Arvid Soderblom .885 Save Percentage Filip Gustavsson .903
Arvid Soderblom 23 Saves Filip Gustavsson 28
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Chicago 31 3 0-0 1-1 2 23
Minnesota 27 4 0-1 0-0 0 23
Upcoming Games
  • Minnesota will play their next game on the road against Dallas. The Wild have a W/L % of .571 after a win and .643 after a loss.
  • Chicago will play their next game on the road against Buffalo. The Blackhawks have a W/L % of .231 after a win and .409 after a loss.