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Roadkill: Wild falls to 0-8 away from X

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The shorthanded Blackhawks took it to the Wild, which became the first NHL team in 13 years to go pointless in its first eight road games of a season.

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: October 27, 2009 - 1:14 PM

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CHICAGO 3, WILD 1

Up next: 7 p.m. Wednesday vs. Nashville • Xcel Energy Center • TV: FSN (830-AM)

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CHICAGO - So much for the Cal Clutterbuck overtime winner being the inspirational trigger to snapping the Wild's road woes.

Ever since Saturday, the Wild talked about how critical it was to carry the momentum into the Windy City.

But as usual outside of St. Paul, the momentum carried by the Wild wouldn't have blown out a candle as the Chicago Blackhawks -- playing without captain Jonathan Toews and defenseman Brent Seabrook -- handed Minnesota an eighth consecutive road loss to start the season, this one 3-1 at United Center.

"It's tough when you're in a situation like this when you have a monkey on your back as a team," Clutterbuck said. "It just seems like nothing goes your way at all -- ever. We have to fight through it. We have to find it."

The Wild, outshot 35-21, is the first NHL team since the 1996-97 Pittsburgh Penguins to open the season without a point in its first eight road games.

"We have to be better on the road. We have to start somewhere," said former Blackhawks winger Martin Havlat, who had lots of jump early before fading en route to a minus-2, one-shot performance in his return to Chicago.

With the Wild trailing 2-0 in the third period, who else but Andrew Brunette, the Wild's only reliable scorer this season, made it a game. He scored his seventh goal, and fifth on a power play.

But a little more than three minutes later, the Wild gave the goal right back. Eric Belanger coughed up the puck behind the net to Patrick Kane. Kane slowly skated out front, turned and perfectly placed a water-bottle popper over Niklas Backstrom's right shoulder for his 50th career goal.

From there, the Wild showed no life, especially on a power play that could have cut the deficit back to one.

"We weren't able to do anything," coach Todd Richards said. "You're looking for somebody to take charge out on the power play or somebody to take charge in the 5-on-5, and take the bull by the horns and say, 'All right guys, follow me.' "

Nobody did. Cristobal Huet, who has been average at best this season in net for Chicago, had to face 11 shots in the final 40 minutes.

"I believe that we're working hard. But we aren't always competing hard," Richards said.

It was the same tired story for the road featherweights. The Wild had a fabulous first 10 minutes, and instead of scoring, it hit upon the very best version of Huet. Then, three Wild players got beat by one pass, a 3-on-2 ensued and Dave Bolland made it 1-0 Chicago by scoring on a rebound.

"It's tough when we come out with 10 minutes like that, and they get one rush down the ice, and they score," Clutterbuck said.

The Wild could never rediscover that level it played at in the first 10 minutes.

On a power play late in the first, the Blackhawks made it 2-0 after Tomas Kopecky was allowed to stand in front of the net so long, he could have recited the Czech alphabet. Duncan Keith took a shot, and after a scramble, Troy Brouwer scored.

"They're probably one of the best teams getting the puck to the net, then crashing the net," Backstrom said. "It's a tough team for the goalies. They just stand in front of you, almost bumping you. Even easy shots, they make them tough shots."

As Richards said: "All of their guys getting involved. That's the level we want to get to."

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