Josh Harding leads Wild past the Chicago Blackhawks

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 03:17:00 GMT

Minnesota Wild goalie Josh Harding needed an extraordinary performance to finally earn his second victory of the season. Josh Harding made a career-high 44 saves, and Peter Olvecky snapped a tie early in the third period with his first NHL goal to help the Wild beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 on Sunday night.

Dan Fritsche also scored for Minnesota Wild, which was outplayed in the first half of the game, but rebounded to end Chicago’s four-game winning streak. The Wild’s NHL-leading penalty kill snuffed all eight Chicago Blackhawk advantages.

Josh Harding, the backup to Niklas Backstrom, was sharp—and nearly perfect—in posting his first win since Nov. 29 at Nashville. Jonathan Toews was the only Blackhawk to beat him.

Josh Harding hasn’t played poorly this season. He entered the game with a 1-7-1 record, despite a 2.25 goals-against average and .927 save percentage.

Harding, 3-1 lifetime against Chicago Blackhawks, got the call from Minnesota Wild coach Jacques Lemaire after Backstrom made 35 saves in a 5-2 home win over Detroit on Saturday night.

Toews gave Chicago a 1-0 lead midway through the second period, scoring on the Chicago Blackhawks’ 26th shot. Chicago could have blown the game open by then had it not been for Harding.

Chicago’s Cristobal Huet started his sixth straight game and made 22 saves. Nikolai Khababulin, who normally alternates with Huet, is on injured reserve because of a lower-body injury.

Minnesota Wild’s Owen Nolan sustained a lower-body injury early in the second period and did not return. The Chicago Blackhawks returned home following a 3-0 road trip. Entering Sunday’s game, Chicago had played 11 of its last 12 games on the road, going 8-3-0 in the road contests and 9-3-0 overall.

The Blackhawks play 16 of their final 24 games at the United Center. Chicago outshot Minnesota 18-5 in the first period and dominated play, but Harding made several tough saves to keep the game scoreless.

Additionally, Chicago’s Andrew Ladd hit the post on a point-blank chance midway through the first, Toews misfired on a one-time attempt from the edge of the crease in the final seconds.

Harding was especially sharp early in the second to help the Wild whether 4:18 of consecutive Chicago Blackhawks power-play time, including a 5-on-3 advantage that lasted 1:42. He robbed Chicago’s Troy Brouwer with a glove save 2:29 into the second during the 5-on-3.

Toews finally beat Harding at even strength to give Chicago a 1-0 lead at 10:03 of the second.

Harding slid to his right to cover a possible shot from Martin Havlat. Havlat, however, passed to Toews, who fired into an open net from the edge of the crease.

Fritsche tied it 2:45 later with a power-play goal on a deflection in the air that withstood a video review.

Parked in front of the crease, Fritsche redirected Pierre-Marc Bouchard’s shot from the top of the slot. The puck struck Fritsche’s stick, ruled to be at crossbar height, and caromed downward past Huet.

Olvecky gave Minnesota a 2-1 lead at 3:30 of the third. Olvecky, playing in his 11th NHL game, fooled Huet with a low shot from the left circle. Harding made a sprawling pad save on Dustin Byfuglien in the final seconds to preserve the win.

Minnesota Wild Hockey : Owen Nolan, Dan Fritsche

Josh Harding leads Wild past the Chicago Blackhawks