St. Paul, MN (Sports Network) - Andrew Brunette and Antii Miettinen had a goal and assist each as the Minnesota Wild edged the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-2, to remain the NHL's lone unbeaten team in regulation.
Mikko Koivu assisted on all three goals while Brent Burns also scored for the Wild, who have registered wins in four of their last five despite being without the services of star forward Marian Gaborik, who landed on injured reserve due to a lower body injury.
Niklas Backstrom made 34 saves to help the Wild to a 6-0-1 beginning to their 2008-09 campaign.
Patrick Sharp and Duncan Keith found the back of the net for the Blackhawks, who had won two of their last three coming in. Cristobal Huet faced only 18 shots but allowed three to get past him.
Minnesota took the lead 4:31 into the middle period when Koivu raced up the right boards and passed to a streaking Miettinen, who snapped a wrister past Huet on the short side.
Another power-play tally made it 3-1 when Burns finished off a passing clinic from Koivu and Brunette at the left side of the net.
Keith made it a one-goal game with 4:34 left with a 4-on-4 tally after Koivu gave the puck away in his own zone. The Blackhawks pulled the goalie with just over two minutes left to play but couldn't solve Backstrom in the waning moments.
Sports
Chicago struck first with 6:25 remaining in the first when Brian Campbell slid a pass across the slot to Backstrom's right where Sharp one-timed a shot into the net on the short side.
The lead was short-lived, however, as the Wild used a series of crisp passes to set up Brunette for the equalizer. Koivu found Miettinen cutting in on net to the left of Huet. Miettinen then sent a pass across the goal mouth to Brunette for the score.
