Wild Rally from Three Down, Stun Blackhawks in Shootout Thriller
ST. PAUL, Minn. - For the better part of two periods, it looked like the Minnesota Wild were skating toward a forgettable night.
Down 3-0 to a hungry Chicago Blackhawks team, the energy in Grand Casino Arena was flat, and the Wild were searching for answers. Then, as they’ve done so many times this season, they found a way.
Joel Eriksson Ek was at the center of the comeback, posting a goal and an assist as Minnesota stormed back to steal a 4-3 shootout win on Tuesday night. Jared Spurgeon delivered the equalizer with just over two minutes left in regulation, and Kirill Kaprizov sealed the deal in the shootout with the lone tally.
Let’s break it down.
A Flat Start, Then a Furious Finish
The Wild came out a step slow, and the Blackhawks pounced early. Teuvo Teravainen, back in the lineup after missing six games, got things going just 79 seconds in, crashing the net and burying a rebound off a Connor Bedard tip.
Ryan Donato doubled the lead later in the first with a laser from the left hash marks after a turnover by Brock Faber. Ilya Mikheyev made it 3-0 early in the second, finishing a clean look off a feed from Alex Vlasic.
At that point, it felt like the Wild were in for a long night.
But Minnesota didn’t fold.
Yakov Trenin got the home crowd back into it midway through the second, cutting the deficit to 3-1 with a wrist shot from the half-wall that beat Spencer Knight stick-side. Then early in the third, Eriksson Ek brought them within one, cashing in on a fortunate bounce after a Quinn Hughes point shot deflected off Marcus Johansson’s skate.
And with the goalie pulled and time ticking down, it was Spurgeon who came up clutch. Eriksson Ek again played a part, firing the initial shot that created chaos in front. Spurgeon found the rebound and backhanded it home at 17:58 to tie the game at three.
“Just trying to find loose pucks,” Eriksson Ek said. “Having a defender with you and just trying to either open up space or screen or get a rebound. Yeah, ‘Spurgy’ came up with a big goal.”
Wallstedt Stands Tall
Jesper Wallstedt, making just his second NHL start, had his hands full early but settled in. He turned away 29 shots and came up huge in the extra frame, especially after the Wild were forced to kill off a penalty for the final 1:56 of overtime.
“I like to think that the harder you work, the more bounces you earn,” Wallstedt said. “But I felt good.
Personally, there's one that I should've saved, but the team had my back there and got us back. As soon as we have a 3-3 game, we're right back in and then all you see is the finish line.
You just want to win that game."
In the shootout, Wallstedt shut the door, stopping all three Chicago attempts, while Kaprizov’s silky move and finish proved to be the difference.
A Coach’s Perspective
Wild head coach John Hynes didn’t sugarcoat the slow start but praised his team’s resilience.
“In the first period they were the better team,” Hynes said. “They were quicker, faster, harder on pucks.
But what I really like is that we didn’t just fade into the night. We held serve.
‘Wally’ made some really big saves for us. I liked his composure and battle level throughout the game.
And I particularly like our group’s response - we dug in when it wasn’t an easy night, but we found a way to win. That’s important.”
Blackhawks Let One Slip
For the Blackhawks, it’s a tough pill to swallow. They played arguably their best hockey in weeks, built a 3-0 lead, and still walked away with just a point. Head coach Jeff Blashill acknowledged the frustration but also saw positives.
“It’s a 3-0 lead. A little bit unfortunate,” Blashill said.
“But when you take the emotion out of it… the chances we had were 23-14 us - you’re going to win that game 98 percent of the time. We just didn’t win tonight.
But I think that’s the best we’ve played in a while.”
Donato echoed that sentiment.
“Obviously, that’s a good club over there,” he said. “They find ways to win games.
I think we battled hard, we competed, we had our chances to finish it. It’s unfortunate.
But we had some things to build on - we just have to find a way to close it out.”
Quick Hits
- Quinn Hughes extended his point streak to six games (one goal, nine assists). He’s now one game shy of tying the franchise record for longest assist streak by a Wild defenseman.
- This was the Wild’s first comeback win from a three-goal deficit since February 19, 2024, when they outlasted the Canucks 10-7.
- Minnesota improves to 4-1-1 in its last six games and continues to find ways to win tight contests, a trait that’s becoming a defining characteristic of this group.
Final Word
This was one of those games that tests a team’s character - down big, nothing going right early, and yet the Wild found a way. Eriksson Ek was a force, Wallstedt showed poise beyond his years, and the veterans stepped up when it mattered most.
These are the kinds of wins that can galvanize a locker room. And if you’re Minnesota, it’s another sign that this team has the grit - and the depth - to be a real problem down the stretch.