Blackhawks Lose to Wild Despite Dominant Performance

Coach Blashill says the Hawks played well enough to win '98% of the time'

Jan. 27, 2026 at 11:39pm

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The Chicago Blackhawks lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, despite controlling play for much of the game. The Hawks outshot the Wild 23-14 and led 3-0 midway through the second period, but the Wild rallied to tie it and eventually win in the shootout. It was the Blackhawks' 17th loss in their last 18 games against the Wild and their 9th consecutive loss in Minnesota dating back to 2019.

Why it matters

The Blackhawks have struggled mightily against the Wild in recent years, and this loss continues that trend. Despite playing well enough to win the game, the Hawks were unable to close it out, raising questions about their ability to finish off opponents when they have the upper hand.

The details

The Blackhawks jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second period, but the Wild scored three unanswered goals to tie it and force overtime. In the shootout, the Wild prevailed 4-3. Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said the team played its best game in a while, with a 23-14 edge in shots, and that they would win that game '98% of the time.' However, the Hawks' power play continued to struggle, going 0-for-5 on the night.

  • The Blackhawks have now lost 17 of their last 18 games against the Wild.
  • The Blackhawks' last win in Minnesota was in 2019, a streak of 9 consecutive losses.
  • The Blackhawks' power play is now 0-for-22 over the last 8 games.

The players

Jeff Blashill

Head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Connor Bedard

Young star forward for the Blackhawks.

Frank Nazar

Blackhawks forward who played on the top line with Bedard and Teravainen.

Teuvo Teravainen

Veteran Blackhawks forward who scored the opening goal.

Jesper Wallstedt

Goaltender for the Minnesota Wild who made several key saves to deny Bedard.

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What they’re saying

“When you take the emotion out of it — which is, obviously, we're frustrated — the chances we [calculated] were 23-14 [in our favor], you're going to win that game 98% of the time. We just didn't win it tonight. I thought that's the best we've played in a while, to be honest.”

— Jeff Blashill, Head Coach (Chicago Sun-Times)

“[Connor] and Frank, I haven't seen them play lots together, [and] I thought they were really good together. They showed a lot of skill. They fed each other in good spots.”

— Jeff Blashill, Head Coach (Chicago Sun-Times)

What’s next

The Blackhawks will look to end their struggles against the Wild when the two teams meet again on February 10th in Chicago.

The takeaway

Despite a dominant performance, the Blackhawks' inability to close out games against the Wild continues to be a major issue. The team will need to find a way to overcome this mental block if they hope to turn their season around.