NHL Game Summary - Chicago at Minnesota
(Thursday, April 5th)
Final Score: Minnesota 2, Chicago 1 (SO)
St. Paul, MN (Sports Network) - Devin Setoguchi scored the game-winning goal
in the third round of the shootout and the Minnesota Wild slipped past the
Chicago Blackhawks, 2-1, at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday.
Setoguchi picked up the puck and went in on goal with speed before ripping a
wrist shot past the glove hand of Blackhawks' netminder Corey Crawford.
Josh Harding stopped Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp before Viktor Stalberg sent
his shot wide of the net to seal the win for the Wild, who have won four of
their last five games.
Cal Clutterbuck scored in regulation and Harding posted 22 saves in the
victory.
"We've been really good for the last five games and we just have
to keep it going," Wild defenseman Marco Scandella said. "We're building
something here, it's a process and we're starting to find our groove."
Jamal Mayers scored the lone goal for the Blackhawks, who have dropped two
straight, but remain firmly in the sixth spot in the Western Conference with
one game remaining.
Crawford gave up one goal on 23 shots in the loss.
Chicago opened the scoring 11:37 into the first frame. Michael Frolik
collected the puck in the right circle off an offensive zone faceoff and took
it all the way around behind the net. Frolik got to the left circle before
he spun around and threw the puck toward the net where it deflected off a
defender's skate and landed on the stick of an unchecked Mayers, who beat
Harding with a quick wrist shot.
Skating with the power play, the Wild tied the game at one with 3:12 showing
on the third period clock. Dany Heatley entered the offensive zone on the left
wing and threw a cross-ice pass to a trailing Clutterbuck and he blasted a
slap shot past a screened Crawford.
"I thought we played pretty well actually, we had a lot of chances and
I think we controlled most of the game," Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith
said. "They just stuck around and they were able to capitalize on their
chances."
Game Notes
The Wild improved to 24-13-5 this season when they don't allow a power-play
goal...Minnesota has won 13 times this season when trailing after the first
period and nine times when trailing at some point during the third period...
The Wild also improved to 20-25-6 when allowing the first
goal...Scandella set a franchise record for ice time in one game with 35
1/2 minutes...Chicago failed to score with four power-play chances, while
the Wild went 1-for-2...Chicago will close out its regular season
against Detroit on Saturday, while Minnesota will end its season with a visit
from Phoenix, also on Saturday.
04/05 23:32:44 ET
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