Mats Zuccarello scored at 3:09 of overtime and Marcus Johansson had a goal and two assists as the visiting Minnesota Wild defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on Tuesday to stop a three-game losing streak.
Brock Faber earned three assists for the Wild, who ended an 0-2-1 run. Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored, and Filip Gustavsson made 21 saves.
Jesper Wallstedt briefly replaced Gustavsson in the third period and stopped both shots he faced before Gustavsson returned to the game.
The Wild improved to 3-0-0 against the Blackhawks, with each meeting needing OT or a shootout and ending with the same final score. The clubs are set to conclude the season series in Minneapolis on Thursday.
Chicago’s Frank Nazar forced overtime with a goal at 18:20 of the third period. Connor Bedard gathered a breakout pass from Artyom Levshunov and backhanded a cross-ice pass from the left circle to a waiting Nazar.
Nazar and Louis Crevier each produced a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks, and Ryan Greene also scored. Bedard notched two assists as Chicago fell to 2-1-2 in the past five games.
Minnesota was dominant in overtime. Quinn Hughes hit the post moments before Zuccarello beat Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight (33 saves) with a snap shot for the game-winner.
Hartman and Johansson scored 1:41 apart early in the first period to provide the Wild with an early cushion.
Hartman opened the scoring at 6:17, burying an opportunity from in front of the crease off a Kirill Kaprizov feed from behind the net. Johansson added to the advantage at 7:58, converting a rebound chance off a pair of Knight saves to tally his first goal in 16 games.
Crevier cut the deficit in half at 10:47 of the first when he drilled a slap shot past Gustavsson from inside the blue line. Per NHL on TNT research, the shot registered at 102.54 mph, making it the hardest shot this season to result in a goal.
Minnesota restored a two-goal advantage on a Tarasenko power-play goal with 1:30 remaining before the first intermission.
Chicago drew back within one goal at 14:35 of the second when Greene scored on a rebound from the slot.
Former Chicago captain Nick Foligno received a warm ovation during a stoppage in the first period. Tuesday marked his first game at the United Center since the Blackhawks traded him to Minnesota on March 6.
–Field Level Media
