Uneven efforts continue to bewilder the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Minnesota Wild happily cannot relate.
Minnesota enters its visit to Chicago on Sunday with five wins in six games, including consecutive 5-2 victories at San Jose and Anaheim and two other efforts of five goals. It’s all helped add up to a 10-2-2 start, the best in club history over 14 contests.
“We’ve taken it a game at a time, honestly,” Minnesota forward Frederick Gaudreau said. “I think if you do that, you get results and you can get addicted to that feeling of just going at it every single day and not focusing too far ahead.”
Chicago returns home before a two-game Western swing, facing questions about consistency.
After seemingly turning a corner during a 3-2 road trip bridging October and November, the Blackhawks sputtered Wednesday and Thursday, losing 4-1 to visiting Detroit and then 3-1 at Dallas.
Chicago recorded just five shots on goal in the first period and fell behind the Stars 2-0 before Tyler Bertuzzi put the team on the board with a power-play goal midway through the third.
“We weren’t ready to start tonight,” Bertuzzi said. “Obviously we made a push in the third, but it was too late. We needed to be ready to go tonight and play a full 60 and we came up short.
“We need to shoot more. Everyone. Whether it’s the (defense) from the top or a forward getting in the slot, we can’t just keep trying to make the cute plays. We’ve got to shoot it and get the rebounds.”
Claiming control of the puck would help. Chicago won 16 of 56 faceoffs at Dallas, with Philipp Kurashev contributing five.
“When you start out without a puck, that’s a hard thing,” Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said. “We’re chasing the game quite a bit.”
Richardson is encouraged that Chicago seemingly has flipped the script on last season, when chatter about moral victories was common in the dressing room.
“We’re just going to take this and put this intensity we had in the third period and bring it to the next game,” he said. “I’ve liked our character and our pushback after a game like this all year long, so I’m expecting that again from our players.”
The Blackhawks will hope to slow Minnesota’s moxie away from home. The Wild boast seven road victories, most in the NHL entering Saturday.
Kirill Kaprizov starred in Minnesota’s most recent road triumph, contributing two goals and an assist on Friday in Anaheim. He also recorded a three-point night in San Jose and carries to Chicago a streak of eight straight multipoint road games.
“He’s driving our team. That’s the biggest thing,” Marcus Foligno said. “You need your horses going. He’s our star player. When he’s going, the whole bench is going.”
Gaudreau, who assisted on Foligno’s goal against the Ducks, has two goals and six assists during a career-best, six-game point streak.
Minnesota swept Chicago in three meetings last season, outscoring the Blackhawks 10-2.
