ST. PAUL, Minn. - Jonathan Toews had three goals and two assists and the Chicago Blackhawks beat rival Minnesota 5-3 on Tuesday night for their second win over the Western Conference-leading Wild in less than two weeks.
Toews notched his fourth career hat trick on an empty-netter with 1:02 left to stave off a spirited rally by the Wild, who began a franchise-record eight-game homestand on Feb. 8 with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Blackhawks. Toews had a goal and two assists in that one and has 37 points in 35 career games against Minnesota.
Chicago's captain has been chewing up almost everyone else, too, with 20 points in his last 12 games. Toews' wing men Nick Schmaltz and Richard Panik had the other goals, giving the Blackhawks 34 goals in their last eight games. Their first line totaled nine points.
Mikael Granlund's second power-play goal for the Wild brought them within 4-3, before Ryan Suter hit the crossbar with a shot that nearly tied it.
The game was played in front of the largest crowd of the season in Minnesota, an overflow paid attendance of 19,333 filled out with the usual smattering of boisterous Blackhawks fans. They got the first chance to fully cheer when Toews knocked in the rebound of Brian Campbell's slap shot that Devan Dubnyk wasn't able to glove in the first minute of the second period.
Wild defenseman Matt Dumba, back from a four-game absence because of a lower-body injury, was in Dubnyk's way as the All-Star goalie tried to freeze the puck. The night didn't improve for Dumba, whose turnover behind the goal line less than five minutes later gave Toews possession for a slick setup for Panik and a 2-1 lead.
Dubnyk was awfully busy in that middle frame, making a diving save to deny Patrick Kane's chip from the edge of the crease a little later and then letting Brent Seabrook's shot ping off the post.
The Blackhawks outshot the Wild 13-5 in the second period and took a two-goal lead just 33 seconds into the final frame when Toews beat Mikko Koivu on a faceoff before the puck scooted toward Schmaltz for a wrist shot that Dubnyk never saw.
Zach Parise's blind redirect of Marco Scandella's shot brought the Wild back within one. He had another one waved off by a high stick call.
Dubnyk stopped 34 shots, and Corey Crawford had 29 saves for Chicago.
NOTES: The Blackhawks are 20-5-1 when Toews gets at least one point. ... The Wild lost by more than one goal for only the fifth time this season. ... Exactly one year ago, the Wild beat the Blackhawks 6-1 in an outdoor game at the University of Minnesota's football stadium that was interim coach John Torchetti's home debut behind the Wild bench.
UP NEXT
Chicago: The Blackhawks return home to start a four-game homestand, beginning with Arizona on Thursday.
Minnesota: The Wild come back from their bye to host Los Angeles on Monday and start the final stretch of 23 games in 41 days.
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