Comeback Comes Up Short; Blackhawks Lose To Wild 4-2

The Chicago Blackhawks had one of their worst starts of the season on Sunday against the Minnesota Wild. For being one of the two bottom teams in the league, that’s saying something.

Jared Spurgeon, Frederick Gaudreau, and Joel Erikson Ek all scored to give the Wild a 3-0 lead by about the halfway point of the game. At the end of the second period, the Blackhawks were being outshot 18-5. They looked as lowly as they ever have.

Once the third period started, it looked like a new team was wearing Blackhawks sweaters. They earned a power play at :47 of the final frame and it only took them 9 seconds to strike. Seth Jones scored to get Chicago on the board.

Just about four minutes later, Frank Nazar scored thanks to a beautiful setup by Ethan Del Mastro. That’s Del Mastro’s first career point in the National Hockey League.

As for Nazar, he now has five points in his last four games. To say that he has earned his stay in the NHL would be an understatement.

Although the Blackhawks had chances late to get it tied, they were unable to do so before Marcus Foligno threw one into the empty net. The 4-2 score would hold as the final.

This game started as a lifeless disaster for Chicago but Minnesota took their foot off the gas in the third. Young players stepping up to make an impact is going to happen down the stretch and we saw some of that on display in this one.

Next up for Chicago is a three-game road trip. They are going to face the Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, and Florida Panthers which is quite the set of games against elite Eastern Conference teams.

They will have to look a lot more like they did in the third period of this loss to Minnesota if they want to earn a single point on the trip.

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