Former Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno returned to the United Center for the first time since being traded just weeks ago—and it was an emotional night in Chicago. The crowd gave him a warm ovation, along with a tribute video honoring his time with the team.
But in the end, it was Foligno and the Minnesota Wild who had the last word. Mats Zuccarello scored the overtime winner at 3:09 to lift Minnesota to a 4–3 victory, handing the Blackhawks yet another tough OT loss.
Despite the defeat, Chicago continues to show
Game Summary
The Chicago Blackhawks came out flat—and it cost them early.
The Minnesota Wild dominated the first period, outshooting Chicago 17–7 and completely controlling the pace. The numbers tell the story: a massive edge in scoring chances and high-danger looks. It wasn’t pretty.
Minnesota struck fast. Ryan Hartman opened the scoring with his 16th, and just 1:41 later, Marcus Johansson made it 2–0 with his 14th.
Then came a response.
Louis Crevier absolutely hammered a slapshot—clocked at 102 mph—one of the hardest shots you’ll see this season. A pure blast to cut the lead to 2–1.
But just when the Blackhawks had some life… they gave it right back.
On the power play late in the period, Vladimir Tarasenko restored the two-goal lead with his 19th, sending Chicago to the intermission down 3–1. Johansson and Brock Faber were already piling up points.
Still—this team didn’t quit.
In front of a loud St. Patrick’s Day crowd, the Blackhawks pushed back. At 14:35 of the second, Ryan Greene buried his 9th after a strong play involving Crevier and Connor Bedard, who picked up another assist.
Then late in the third—drama.
A Wild turnover turned into a perfect rush. Artyom Levshunov fired a long pass to Bedard, who drove the play and found Frank Nazar on the backdoor. Tie game. 3–3.
Nazar stays hot—3 goals in his last 4 games, 7 points in his last 5.
But once again… overtime trouble.
At 3:09, Mats Zuccarello finished it, giving Minnesota the 4–3 win and handing Chicago another frustrating OT loss.
Nazar and Louis Crevier each had a goal and an assist, Bedard had two assists, and Spencer Knight made 33 saves for Chicago (25-30-12).
Another comeback. Another point.
But still… not the extra one.
Post Comments:
“I liked our response,” said Jeff Blashill. “I liked the way we played in the second half of the game. Obviously, I didn’t like the first. We lost too many puck battles early, and that made us slow—we were chasing the game.”
That first half hurt, but the pushback was real.
“From halfway through the game, I think we played really solid,” said Louis Crevier. “Now it’s about finding that consistency and playing that way for a full 60 minutes.”
A big emotional moment came in the first period, as the Chicago Blackhawks honored former captain Nick Foligno with a video tribute. It was his first game back at the United Center since being traded to the Minnesota Wild on March 6.
“I thought it was great,” said Wild head coach John Hynes. “Nick had a big impact on a lot of their young players and was their captain. When a guy like that comes back and gets that kind of reception, it means something. It was well done by the organization and the fans.”
Notes from the game:
- Minnesota improves to 18-0-1 against Chicago since February 4, 2020 — a 19-game point streak, the longest active streak against one opponent in the NHL.
- Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk was a healthy scratch for the first time this season.
- The move allowed Ethan Del Mastro to get into the lineup. He logged 11:51 of ice time, finishing at minus-1 with a shot on goal and two blocked shots.
Game Stats
| Stat | Wild | Blackhawks |
| Shots on Goal | 37 | 26 |
| Face-off % | 58.3% | 41.7% |
| Power Play | 1/1 | 0/2 |
| Hits | 23 | 9 |
| Blocked Shots | 14 | 15 |
| Giveaways | 13 | 16 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 5 |
My Takeaway
1. Artyom Levshunov keeps trending up
Levshunov played one of his best games of the season, logging a career-high 26:59 in ice time. He made a huge impact on the game-tying goal with a long breakout pass and finished with two shots and one hit.
More importantly, this is now back-to-back strong performances. Since the post-Olympic break, his overall game has taken a step forward—he looks more confident and composed with the puck.
Head coach Jeff Blashill also highlighted his progress:
“He still has to do a better job at times with the puck, but overall, lots of good stuff… He’s making progress in things like deception with the puck.”
What stands out even more is that Levshunov handled tough matchups against players like Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, defending hard and holding his own. That’s a big sign of growth.
2. Frank Nazar is on fire
Nazar is playing his best hockey since returning from injury—and it’s showing every night.
He scored the tying goal again and now has:
- 3 goals in his last 4 games
- 7 points in his last 5 games
His game looks more complete right now—he’s more aggressive, making smarter decisions, driving the net, and creating plays. His skating also looks more explosive, and you can really see the confidence building.
Everything is starting to click for him offensively.
3. Louis Crevier continues to impress
Crevier might quietly be one of the most improved players on the team this season—arguably a “fourth star” type for the Blackhawks.
Tonight, he delivered:
- Big minutes
- 4 shots on goal
- 2 points (including a goal)
He was effective offensively and continues to show confidence jumping into plays. His shot from the blue line is a real weapon—arguably one of the hardest on the team.
His development has been very impressive, and if this continues, he has the potential to become a reliable top-4 defenseman for years to come.
Next Game
The final matchup of the season between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild will take place this Thursday in Minnesota, with puck drop set for 7:30 PM CDT. The Wild have dominated the season series so far, winning all three previous meetings—each by an identical 4–3 score.
Despite the overtime loss, Chicago remains near the bottom of the league standings in 30th place. Meanwhile, the Florida Panthers sit 25th after their recent defeat. At this stage, it’s fair to say Florida appears to be slipping further out of contention, which could impact the draft picture moving forward.
i
