Bedard scores, Blackhawks hang for first win over Wild in seven years
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Connor Bedard scored a goal and defenseman Alex Vlasic made a game-saving stop as time ran out on Thursday night as the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 to snap the NHL's longest active point streak for one team against another.
Ilya Mikheyev also scored and Spencer Knight made 28 saves for the Blackhawks, who were 0-18-1 in their last 19 games against Minnesota. Chicago's last victory over the Wild was on Dec. 15, 2019.
Nico Sturm scored for the Wild and Jesper Wallstedt stopped 24 of 26 shots he faced.
With Wallstedt pulled for an extra attacker, the Wild nearly tied it in the final seconds. Knight got a piece of Quinn Hughes' shot, but the puck trickled behind him in the crease. Before a Minnesota player could get to it, the 6-foot-6 Vlasic swept his stick into the crease and tucked the puck beneath his goalie.
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The Wild played without leading scorer Kirill Kaprizov, who was scratched with a lower-body injury. He’s listed as day to day.
Chicago took a 1-0 lead late in the first when Andrew Mangiapane found Mikheyev at the goal mouth for an easy tap-in.
Bedard doubled the lead midway through the second when he intercepted a pass at the Wild blue line, skated in alone and beat Wallstedt with a backhander.
Sturm got the Wild on the board with a wrist shot that beat Knight between his skates with 4:13 to play in the second.
Minnesota was unable to score during a five-on-three power play early in the third, as Matt Boldy and Vladimir Tarasenko each hit the left post behind Knight.
Blackhawks host Colorado on Friday. Wild host Dallas on Saturday.
