Blackhawks lose to Wild despite playing well enough to 'win that game 98% of the time'

ST. PAUL, Minn. — With every new meeting in Minnesota, there’s more evidence of some kind of Wild hex on the Blackhawks.

They played well overall Tuesday night at Grand Casino Arena and gave up relatively few scoring chances, but the Wild capitalized on every infrequent opportunity to rally back and beat the Hawks 4-3 in a shootout.

It was their 17th loss in their last 18 games against the Wild and their ninth consecutive loss in Minnesota dating back to 2019. The Hawks have blown multi-goal leads in three of the last five meetings, including their 3-0 advantage halfway through the second period Tuesday.

“When you take the emotion out of it — which is, obviously, we’re frustrated — the chances we [tallied] were 23-14 [in our favor], coach Jeff Blashill said. “You’re going to win that game 98% of the time. We just didn’t win it tonight. I thought that’s the best we’ve played in a while, to be honest.”

The game felt almost like a replay of the teams’ last meeting Nov. 26 in Chicago, when the Hawks largely controlled play but the Wild somehow snatched a 4-3 win in overtime.

“I don’t think we got away from our game,” forward Frank Nazar said. “[There was] some sloppiness with the puck or some [bad] decisions. But really, honestly, I thought we played a great game.”

The power play continues to be an Achilles heel for the Hawks, who went 0-for-5, including coming up short on a golden opportunity to win the game with a four-on-three advantage for the last 1:56 of overtime. They’re now 0-for-22 on the power play over their last
eight games.

Something brewing

One encouraging sign Tuesday: The Hawks might have found something in their new-look first line of Connor Bedard, Nazar and Teuvo Teravainen.

Teravainen banged in a loose puck in the crease during the trio’s first shift, and they continued to click as the night progressed.

A Nazar-to-Bedard seam pass in the second period and a Bedard-to-Nazar saucer pass on a rush in the third both were Grade-A chances. The Hawks outshot the Wild 11-3 in their five-on-five ice time together.

“[Connor] and Frank, I haven’t seen them play lots together, [and] I thought they were really good together,” Blashill said. “They showed a lot of skill. They fed each other in good spots.”

Right after his interview ended, Blashill called over a dejected Bedard to offer encouragement. Bedard attempted 11 shots and got eight on goal, but Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt denied him every time, continuing a theme since Bedard returned from injury.

Nazar and Teravainen, arguably the most talented linemates Bedard has played with, look capable of snapping him out of his funk.

Moore the merrier

Tuesday marked forward Oliver Moore’s first NHL regular-season game in his home state. He had a huge group of supporters in the building: His dad bought 50 tickets, his girlfriend’s family added another 15, and childhood and college friends also attended.

Tuesday also was the start of the Hawks’ “moms trip,” so the entire team had a full suite cheering them.

It’s notable that Moore played center. After starting the season on the wing, he said he’s most comfortable in the middle. His defensive acumen has convinced Blashill to let him stay there.

“There’s definitely parts of his skill set that make him look like a potential long-term center,” Blashill said. “Part of that, too, is learning to check low. His skating ability and tenacity can allow that, even though he’s not 6-foot-4.”