Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt allowed just two goals on 37 shots while Carson Lambos patrolled the blue line and notched two assists. Sam Hentges (one goal, one assists) and Kevin Conley (two assists) also had two point nights for Minnesota in a dominant second and third period.
Minnesota defeated Chicago twice in the Tom Kurvers Prospects Showcase at TRIA Rink in St. Paul last year.
THE GOALS
1st Period:
0:23 CHI 1, MIN 0 -- After Blackhawks goalie Jaxson Stauber denied Adam Beckman (2019 MIN, 3rd rd., No. 75 overall) in close, Blackhawks forward Colton Dach moved the puck the other way after a Simon Johansson (2018 MIN, 5th rd., 148th overall) shot was blocked at the point. Dach fired a wrist shot from the left side over the shoulder of Jesper Wallstedt (2021 MIN, 1st rd., 20th overall) 23 seconds into the game.
2nd Period:
2:07 CHI 2, MIN 0 -- Cole Guttman doubled the Blackhawks' lead with a putaway on the back post from Josiah Slavin.
6:50 CHI 2, MIN 1 -- Stauber denied Sam Hentges (2018 MIN, 7th rd., No. 210 overall) on an initial rush but less than one minute later Hentges got his revenge with a quick shot to the corner courtesy of a Carson Lambos (2021 MIN, 1st rd., 26th overall) feed to cut the Wild deficit in half.
12:30 CHI 2, MIN 2 -- Hentges had an initial shot denied by Stauber, but Caedan Bankier (2021 MIN, 3rd rd., No. 86 overall) buried the rebound on the power play to tie the game.
3rd Period:
3:47 CHI 2, MIN 3 -- Beckman shot from an impossible angle and rang the puck off the post on the power play to give Minnesota its first lead of the game. Lambos tallied his second assist of the night, and Marco Rossi assisted on the play.
5:26 CHI 2, MIN 4 -- Josh Pillar (2021 MIN, 4th rd., No. 127 overall) ripped a shot for a two-goal lead.
11:47 CHI 2, MIN 5 -- Vladislav Firstov (2019 MIN, 2nd rd., No. 42 overall) won the draw in the offensive zone and got the puck back in the left circle from Kevin Conley (undrafted/invitee) for the one-timer and increased the lead by three.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Wild PP: 2-for-2
Wild PK: 1-for-1
IN THE CREASE:
Wallstedt challenged, denied and stymied every shot following the two early goals making 35 saves on the night including one breakaway, and more than one occasion with an outstretched pad.
Stauber made 27 saves (32 shots).
THEY SAID IT:
"I think us just moving our feet and winning the 1-on-1 battles. We came out pretty flat in the first period and coach (Tim Army) talked to us in between the first and second and we came out ready to work." -- Sam Hentges on the difference between the slow start.
DID YA KNOW:
Blackhawks goalie Jaxson Stauber is a Wayzata, Minnesota native and the son of Hobey Baker winner and Duluth native, Robb Stauber.
NEXT GAME: 1 p.m. on Sunday, September 18 at Fifth Third Arena. Follow @mnwild to learn how to watch/listen.
