NEWSLETTER
These teams are going to play again in less than 24 hours. That ought to be fun.
The Minnesota Wild did what they wanted to the Blackhawks tonight offensively. Numerous defensive breakdowns lead to Marc-André Fleury getting pulled and the Blackhawks losing 5-1 to the Wild. Chicago is now 15-19-6 on the season 14-10-4 with Derek King as interim head coach.
This is what playing against a legitimate playoff team looks like.
It was also the Ryan Hartman revenge game as the former 30th-overall pick by the Blackhawks in 2013 came back to the United Center and dropped a brace on Chicago.
WE REPEAT… HOW THE HECK ARE YA, HARTZY?!#mnwild pic.twitter.com/bteFYzEnvy
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) January 22, 2022
With Hartman’s two goals tonight he has 18 this season, which is one short of his career-high of 19 in a season, set with the Blackhawks in the 2016-17 season. He has surpassed his career-high in points for a season with 32 after tonight’s game, more than his 31 points also set in the 2016-17 season.
OPE… ANOTHER ONE FOR HARTZY 🚨#mnwild pic.twitter.com/4Bx8ZVLWWC
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) January 22, 2022
Fleury was making his eighth-straight start for the Blackhawks, coming in having gone 4-0-1 in the last five with a .956 save-percentage in this games. Tonight was nothing like those past five games. Fleury made nine saves on 13 shots before being pulled in the second period. Kevin Lankinen, who had not played in a game since December 18, and was slated to start tomorrow night’s game in Minnesota, made 16 saves on 17 shots in relief of Fleury.
Dylan Strome provided the lone bright spot for the Blackhawks tonight, scoring the 5-1 goal in the third period to ruin Kaapo Kahkonen’s shutout bid.
No shutout tonight! Strome puts the Hawks on the board pic.twitter.com/LkqSLqsLL6
— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) January 22, 2022
With the primary assist on the Strome’s fourth goal of the season, Patrick Kane extends his current point-streak to nine games.
With a 36-30 shots on goal advantage, including a 30-27 shots advantage at 5v5, this was a game the Blackhawks probably should have won when looking on paper. The problem was, the G.A.F meter was in favor of the Wild. Disorganization and disinterest defensively will kill any team, but especially this Blackhawks club. Minnesota had a 28-18 advantage in scoring chances and a 9-3 advantage in high-danger scoring chances at all strengths tonight.
Well, we do it all again tomorrow in St. Paul. The Wild are expected to get Captain Jared Spurgeon back in the lineup for tomorrow night, so they’ll be even closer to their full-strength lineup than they were tonight.
Find the full box score here.
