Blackhawks at Wild
The Chicago Blackhawks came away from their latest defeat shaking their heads but it pales to the frustration boiling up in their next opponent. The Blackhawks look to avoid consecutive losses for the first time since Nov. 1-2 when they visit the skidding Minnesota Wild on Thursday night. Chicago is coming off a 2-0 home loss to Colorado despite unloading a season-high 54 shots and has split its last eight following a stretch of 13 wins in 15 games.
Minnesota is also coming off a deflating defeat, falling in overtime to visiting San Jose on Tuesday - its eighth loss in 10 games (2-4-4). Wild coach Mike Yeo was satisfied with his team's performance but a lackluster practice session Wednesday prompted him to lace into the team with an obscenity-laced rant. “We can hang our heads, we can feel sorry for ourselves, we can point fingers ... but those types of things are not the types of things that winners do and those types of things do not help you get out of something like this,” Yeo said.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (26-12-2): Chicago was staring at a 2-0 deficit just 77 seconds into the game against Colorado, marking the sixth consecutive game in which it surrendered the opening goal. “A slow start, a couple chances against and they’re in the back of the net,” forward Patrick Sharp said. “A couple games now we’ve done that and we need to fix it quickly.” With a game at Edmonton on Friday tucked between a return matchup with the Wild on Sunday, Antti Raanta is due to get a start for the first time since Dec. 21.
ABOUT THE WILD (18-15-5): Goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who has been pulled five times since Nov. 13, is in the eye of the storm, drawing criticism from Yeo for the decisive overtime tally he let in Tuesday. "We're not in a position where we can have anybody be below average, and it always starts and ends with goaltending," Yeo said. "It's a tricky one trying to be sensitive to his confidence, but that goal in overtime can't go in." Kuemper left practice Wednesday with an injury that Yeo referred to as "minor" without talking to the netminder.
OVERTIME
1. Wild F Zach Parise missed Tuesday's game to spend time with his father, former NHL player J.P. Parise, who passed away on Wednesday following a battle of lung cancer.
2. Blackhawks F Marian Hossa has 12 goals and 23 points in 28 games against Minnesota.
3. Wild D Marco Scandella suffered a lower-body injury Tuesday and has been ruled out for Thursday's game.