Connor Bedard scored the go-ahead goal, and the Chicago Blackhawks held on for a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night in Saint Paul, Minn.
Ilya Mikheyev also scored for Chicago, which earned at least one point for the fifth time in its past six games. The Blackhawks rebounded from a 4-3 overtime loss against the Wild two nights earlier in Chicago as part of a home-and-home series.
Nico Sturm scored the lone goal for Minnesota. Hunter Haight and Brock Faber picked up one assist apiece for the Wild, who lost in regulation for the third time in the past four games.
Chicago goaltender Spencer Knight stopped 28 of 29 shots to secure the victory.
Jesper Wallstedt took the hard-luck loss for the Wild despite turning aside 24 of 26 shots.
The Blackhawks opened the scoring with 3:38 to play in the first period. Andrew Mangiapane took a pass in the right circle and slid the puck toward the crease, where Mikheyev punched it in from the crease for his 13th goal of the season.
Bedard gave the Blackhawks a 2-0 lead with 8:13 to go in the second period. He stole the puck from Wild forward Marcus Johansson, raced down the ice and finished the unassisted score with a backhand shot for his second goal in the past four games and his 28th of the season.
The Wild cut the deficit to 2-1 with 4:13 to play in the second period. Sturm scored on a wrist shot from the left circle that zipped between Knight’s leg pads.
Haight tallied an assist on the play, which marked his first career point in his sixth game with the Wild. Minnesota drafted Haight in the second round (No. 47 overall) in 2022.
Both teams finished 0-for-3 on the power play.
Bedard led both teams with six shots on goal. Mats Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman shared the team lead for the Wild with four shots on goal apiece.
–Field Level Media
