The Chicago Blackhawks dominated the final two periods of Monday night’s game against the Minnesota Wild and cruised to a 5-1 win in front of a sellout crowd at Xcel Energy Center.
Chicago held a 1-0 lead after the first period thanks to a Patrick Sharp goal. Marian Hossa and Johnny Oduya, who both played vital roles in knocking the Wild out of the playoffs last season, assisted on the play.
Jason Pominville scored to the tie game midway through the second period. His seven goals lead the team and are tied for fourth most in the NHL. Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin leads the NHL with 10 goals.
The Blackhawks scored less than two-minutes after Pominville’s tying goal, and they went on to score three more over the final 26 minutes.
Eden Prairie native Nick Leddy scored in front of his family and friends.
Niklas Backstrom struggled in goal in the loss. He stopped just 23 of 28 shots.
Winning was a slight form of revenge for Chicago since the Wild blasted them at the United Center on Saturday night.
Minnesota is off until Friday when they play host to the Montreal Canadiens.
