Wild Vs Blackhawks: Foligno’s emotional return meets a Blackhawks test of growth
At 6: 30 p. m. ET, the lights come up at the United Center for wild vs blackhawks, the first game of a two-night, home-and-home series that will finish Thursday night in St. Paul. For Chicago, it is another measuring-stick moment wrapped in something more human: Nick Foligno returning to the building with “lots of emotions, ” just 11 days after the Chicago Blackhawks traded him.
What is happening in Wild Vs Blackhawks tonight?
The Blackhawks host the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night at the United Center, opening the third of four meetings between the clubs this season. The game is on national television (TNT and HBO Max), with radio coverage on WGN-720-AM and the Blackhawks App. Chicago has earned a point in each of its two games against Minnesota this season (0-0-2), and each of those matchups went beyond regulation.
There is a competitive edge in the details. In the second meeting, Chicago surged to a 3-0 lead before losing 4-3 in a shootout. Head coach Jeff Blashill has framed the season as an education in finishing, a young group learning what it takes to close out games. “Every game is a different animal, ” Blashill said. “We want to continue to grow. We’ve talked about how meaningful these games are for our team. Now you get a chance to play one of the very best teams in the league. ”
Why does Nick Foligno’s return add weight to wild vs blackhawks?
Hockey schedules can feel relentless—warmups, faceoffs, flights—but returns like this slow time down for a moment. Foligno comes back to the United Center as a visitor with Minnesota, carrying “lots of emotions” after being traded by the Chicago Blackhawks 11 days earlier.
It lands in the middle of a series that already has a storyline of its own: Minnesota’s recent control of the matchup. The Wild have an 18-game point streak against Chicago, going 17-0-1 since Feb. 2, 2020. Chicago has not beaten Minnesota in regulation since Dec. 15, 2019. The stakes are not only about standings; they are about what a team believes it can change—especially at home, where Chicago has earned wins in two of its last three games (2-1-0).
That is the tension inside this home-and-home. One side brings the comfort of recent history, the other brings the urgency of a team trying to grow into its next version of itself. For Chicago fans in the seats, Foligno’s presence turns that tension into something visible—an old face in new colors, a reminder that rosters can shift overnight even as the building stays the same.
How is Chicago trying to win this matchup: defense, discipline, and small edges?
Chicago enters the night coming off a 4-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena, a game where goaltender Spencer Knight made 28 saves. Even in that shutout, there were clues to how the Blackhawks want to compete: Artyom Levshunov led all skaters with 23: 55 of ice time and three blocked shots, while also sharing first with four hits. Ryan Greene went 5-for-8 (62. 5%) in the faceoff circle, while Connor Bedard went 8-for-13 (61. 5) and Frank Nazar 11-for-18 (61. 1%).
At home, Chicago’s identity has been sharpened by special teams. Since Jan. 19, the Blackhawks have gone 17-for-19 (89. 5%) on the penalty kill over their last seven home games, ranking second in the NHL in that span. Over the season, Chicago ranks first in the NHL with a penalty kill percentage of 84. 9% (169-for-199). Over the last 18 games, the penalty kill is 39-for-45 (86. 7%), leading the NHL, and the team has allowed six power-play goals in that stretch. The club has allowed 30 power play goals against this season, ranking third in the NHL.
Offensively, the Blackhawks have individual threads that can tug a game in their favor. Bedard is riding a five-game point streak against Minnesota (2G, 4A), including points in back-to-back games against the Wild at the United Center. Tyler Bertuzzi has recorded a point (2A) in two of his last three games against Minnesota and has 10 points (5G, 5A) in 16 career games versus the Wild. At the United Center recently, Ilya Mikheyev is on a three-game home point streak (2G, 5A) and has points (2G, 7A) in five of his last seven home games; Ryan Donato has points (3G, 3A) in three straight at home.
Nazar’s night will be watched closely, too. He failed to record a point Saturday, snapping a career-long five-game point streak (3G, 5A), but he has logged multi-point games in three of his last five outings. Nazar ranks second on the team with a career-high 22 assists in 50 games this season, and his career-high 32 points are tied for third on the team.
What does the home-and-home reveal about where both teams stand?
Minnesota arrives with a record of 38-18-12 (88 points), while Chicago is listed at 25-30-11 (61 points). Beyond the numbers, the framing is clear: two games in quick succession can expose whether execution problems are habits or correctable moments. In the earlier meetings this season, Chicago has shown it can push Minnesota past regulation; it has also shown how quickly a lead can dissolve, and how thin the line is between earning a point and taking the full result.
Blashill’s comments underline what the Blackhawks are chasing: not just hanging around, but forcing the Wild to defend. “We’ve done a decent job of making them defend, ” he said. “If you have to defend their top players all night, it’s a really tough night. So, if you can make them defend, it makes it a little bit easier. ”
As the puck drops in Chicago, the human and the tactical run side by side: a familiar player returning under different circumstances; a young defenseman in Levshunov taking on heavy minutes; a club leaning on a league-leading penalty kill to stay connected to the game.
Back in the United Center bowl, the opening scene repeats itself in a different key: the same ice, the same boards, a new set of emotions—and the same question hanging over wild vs blackhawks: can Chicago turn “meaningful” nights into finished ones?
