Jared Spurgeon scores as the Wild hold off the Blackhawks for a 4-2 win
CHICAGO, IL – The Minnesota Wild defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 on Sunday night, thanks to goals from Jared Spurgeon, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Frederick Gaudreau. Matt Boldy tallied three assists as the Wild opened a five-game road trip with a much-needed win after losing five of their last six games.
Chicago struggled early, managing only five shots on goal through the first two periods. However, the Blackhawks mounted a comeback in the third. Seth Jones found the back of the net on a power play, and Frank Nazar scored his third goal of the season at 4:16, cutting Minnesota’s lead to one. Despite the rally, the Wild held firm and Marcus Foligno sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 18:18. Filip Gustavsson was solid in net, finishing with 18 saves.
The loss extended the Blackhawks’ slump, as they dropped to 1-4-3 in their last eight games. They also lost three of four against the Wild this season.
Minnesota took control early, with Spurgeon scoring from the high slot at 5:43 of the first period. Gaudreau followed up at 7:17, beating Petr Mrazek from a tough angle on the glove side to make it 2-0. Eriksson Ek added a power-play goal in the second period, redirecting a shot at 10:45 to give Minnesota a 3-0 lead. He now has nine goals this season, adding to his tally from Saturday’s 5-4 loss to Calgary.
Although the Wild faced some challenges in the third, they maintained solid defense down the stretch to hold on for the win. Mrazek finished with 24 saves for Chicago.
Up next, the Wild head to Toronto for a game on Wednesday night, while the Blackhawks kick off a three-game road trip in Tampa Bay on Tuesday.