The Chicago Blackhawks have a chance to eliminate the Minnesota Wild in Game 5, and so far things are going according to plan. Marian Hossa scored late in the first period to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead at the first intermission.
Blackhawks vs. Wild Game 5 Update: Marian Hossa scores first for Chicago
With the Wild facing elimination, the Blackhawks strike first.
Hossa accepted a feed from Jonathan Toews on the left wing and one-timed a shot past Wild golatender Josh Harding from the faceoff dot.
Harding started Game 5 after leaving Game 4 with an injury that resulted from a collision with Toews. He made nine saves in the first period of his return.
The Wild believed a key to their lone victory in this series, in Game 3, was through a physical approach and attempt to clog up the Blackhawks offensive transition. But shots were even at 10-10 after the first period of Game 5, and the official scorekeepers had the Blackhawks outhitting the Wild 14-8.
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