Games
Minnesota Wild 3 - Chicago Blackhawks 4
Chicago struck early in Game 1. Just 1:15 in, Brandon Saad beat Ryan Suter 1-on-1 and lifted the puck past Devan Dubnyk to put the Blackhawks in the lead. Chicago extend their lead midway through the period, as Patrick Kane received a pass from Brad Richards and snapped it past Dubnyk. Minutes later, Chicago stuck again. Andrew Shaw's shot went right to Marcus Kruger, who was alone in the slot, who then slid the puck past Dubnyk. The Blackhawks started the second with a couple of quick shots. It was the Wild who would score next though, as Jason Zucker redirected a pass from Thomas Vanek into the net. Minnesota had a powerplay chance minutes later, and made good on it. Vanek was once again the set up man, as his pass to the slot found an open Zach Parise, who proceeded to put the puck past Cory Crawford. Minnesota tied the game up halfway through the second. Pressure down low by Parise and Mikael Granlund caused a turnover, and resulted in Granlund sliding the puck through Crawford. The game remained 3-3 until late in the second. With under a minute to go, Teuvo Teravainen's shot found its way past Dubnyk, hit the post, and went into the net. Minnesota had a couple of chances in the third to tie the game, but were unsuccessful. Chicago won Game 1, taking the series lead.
Minnesota Wild 1 - Chicago Blackhawks 4
Both the Blackhawks and Wild had chances in the first, but neither team could find twine. A penalty by Andrew Shaw midway though the second may have been a blessing in disguise for the Blackhawks. Shorthanded, Marian Hossa caused a turnover in the neutral zone, entered the Wild zone with Jonathan Toews trailing. Toews would receive the puck and shoot. The puck was stopped, but bounce off the knob of Dubnyk's stick and managed to trickle enough over the line to count as a goal. A couple of chances by the Wild yield no results. Chicago extended their lead late in the period, as Kane snapped a shot past Dubnyk's blocker to make it 2-0 Blackhawks. Michal Rozsival took a penalty with seconds left in the second, as the Wild started the third period with a powerplay. The Wild capitalized on the man advantage, as Matt Dumba's shot went over Crawford's shoulder and hit the top of the net. That was as close as Minnesota got to tying the game. Patrick Sharp beat Dubnyk low glove. Kane capped off the scoring with an empty net goal late in the third. Chicago won 4-1, extending their series lead to two games.
Chicago Blackhawks 1 - Minnesota Wild 0
Both teams had chances early in the first, but nothing would go into to net. Later in the period, a Jared Spurgeon penalty would be beneficial for Chicago. Patrick Sharp's pass managed to bounce to Bickell, who whacked it to a streaking Kane. Kane quickly snapped the puck past Dubnyk, as the Blackhawks took a 1-0 lead. Teravainen looked to make it 2-0, taking a loose puck and cutting across the top of the crease. He did not get much of a shot off though, as Dubnyk was in position to stop the sliding puck. Minnesota put the pressure on in the second, and had some good chances in the period (highlighted by a Granlund breakaway attempt). Crawford stood tall though, keeping the everything out of the net. There was a close call late in the period, as the puck bounced off a Chicago player and trickled to the goal line. Crawford's pad was in the right spot, as it stopped the puck from fully crossing the line. It was much of the same in the third, with the Wild pouring it on while Crawford kept the shutout going. Kane's goal held up as the only one of the game, as Crawford's 30 save performance gave the Blackhawks the win.
Chicago Blackhawks 4 - Minnesota Wild 3
The first period only saw one goal getting scored. Brent Seabrook's shot found it's way past Dubnyk's glove and into the top corner, giving the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead. A powerplay for Chicago early in the second help extend their lead. Shaw would whack a loose puck past Dubnyk, making it 2-0 for Chicago. A scary moment happened minutes later, as Rozsival fell while turning to retrieve the puck and ended up twisting his ankle in a way that ankles don't normally twist. He would leave the game as a result. Minnesota would get on the board, as Erik Haula buried a rebound to pull the Wild to within a goal. Both teams had chances to score, but it wasn't until midway through the third when one of them finally did. A 2-on-1 saw Bryan Bickell pass it to Kane, whose shot hit Dubnyk and ended up just behind the goal line. Bickell would receive a penalty minutes later, giving Minnesota a chance to pull within a goal. The Wild pulled their goalie to make it a 6-on-4 opportunity. It did not pay off immediately, as Marian Hossa scored on the empty net to make it 4-1 for the Blackhawks. The Wild did eventually get their powerplay goal, as Jason Pominville tipped Jared Spurgeon's shot past Crawford. Nino Niederreiter's goal less than a minute later set up an intense ending, as the Wild just needed a goal to tie the game. Minnesota pushed, but they came up short in their effort to tie the game. Chicago won Game 4, giving them the series win and sweeping Minnesota in the process.
Two Thoughts on the Series
- If only the Wild tied it up in Game 4. The last couple of minutes in that game was nuts.
- Pouring one out for Bob Cole, as this was the last series he called in this year's playoffs.
Rozsival's twisted ankle sadly gets this spot (I'll space it out so it's not an immediate shock, feel free to scroll straight to the end).
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Ready?
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Highlight of the Series
Great play by Hossa to strip Suter of the puck and to set up Toews. Nice bit of luck by Toews as well, as the puck bounced off the knob of Dubnyk's stick and into the net.
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