Stay on top of breaking news!
Sign up for ABC 7 News e-mail alerts.
(Sports Network) - Troy Brouwer's power play goal late in the first period was the difference, as Chicago edged Minnesota, 3-1, at the United Center.
Dave Bolland and Patrick Kane also scored for the Blackhawks, who have won two in a row and six of their last eight games. Cristobal Huet stopped 20 shots in the win. Huet, though, saw his shutout streak end at 113 minutes and two seconds.
"He looked very sharp," said Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville. "He participated well and was on top of the crease and challenged extremely well. It's a good response the last two games."
Andrew Brunette scored the lone goal for the Wild, who are 0-8-0 on the road this year. Niklas Backstrom stopped 32 shots in the setback. Minnesota, which has dropped seven of nine overall, became the first team since the 1996 Penguins to earn zero points in its first eight road games.
Trailing 2-0 in the third period, the Wild cut their deficit in half. Mikko Koivu took a shot from the right circle but it was stopped. The rebound, though, bounced around the front of the net before Brunette slapped it home to make it 2-1 about 3 1/2 minutes into the frame.
The Blackhawks regained their two-goal lead 3:35 later. Kane started with the puck behind the net, then skated to the left side of the goal before turning around and firing a wrister that made it 3-1.
Minnesota pulled its goaltender with a bit over a minute left, but the Blackhawks defense prevailed.
The Blackhawks got on the board at the midway point of the first period. Andrew Ladd assisted on Bolland's second goal of the season -- a wrister that made it 1-0.
The team made it 2-0 at the 17:13 mark of the first on a power play. After a shot resulted with the puck loose in front of the net, Brouwer skated in and slapped it home.
Huet stopped 11 shots in the second period and Backstrom halted six to keep it at 2-0 headed to the final stanza.
"We had some chances at the beginning, but didn't score and they got the first one," said former Blackhawk Martin Havlat. "We just couldn't put anything in."
Game Notes
It was Kane's 50th career goal...Minnesota has allowed 28 goals as the guest while netting just 13 themselves...The Wild took three of four from the Blackhawks last year and have won 12 of the last 16 meetings in the series. Minnesota had also won two straight and six of its last seven in Chicago.
Copyright 2009 The Sports Network
All rights reserved
Email To Friend
ABC 7 News to leave comments on news stories.