Demitra Gives Wild 4-3 Win Over Hawks

Monday, January 15th 2007, 6:23 am

By: News On 6

CHICAGO (AP) _ After a long drought, the Minnesota Wild are finding ways to win on the road. Pavol Demitra scored the only goal in the shootout, lifting the Wild to a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night. Minnesota finished its four-game road trip with three straight wins.

The Wild lost 11 consecutive road games before starting their current streak with a 5-2 win at Vancouver on Thursday night.

``I think the game in Vancouver was huge. When it gets that long, it gets monotonous and it paralyzes you sometimes,'' Minnesota's Wes Walz said. ``Getting that win, guys starting playing more loose and more relaxed.''

The Wild, who also won 4-2 at Edmonton on Friday night, have three straight road wins for the first time since last Feb. 2-10.

``When you play three games in four nights, it's always tough,'' Demitra said. ``It was a huge win.''

Minnesota might have had some luck Sunday in handing the Blackhawks their sixth straight loss. A shootout goal by Denis Arkhipov, Chicago's third shooter, was disallowed after a video review. Minnesota goalie Manny Fernandez stopped the shot, then it nearly trickled over the goal line.

``That was a goal,'' Chicago coach Denis Savard said. ``We've got it on our TV. Why? Ask the NHL. I've got no idea. It doesn't make any sense.

``The puck is this much in,'' Savard added, gesturing a two-inch gap between his fingers. ``The referees said it was a goal.''

Fernandez, who finished with 38 saves, disagreed.

``I didn't think it went in,'' Fernandez said. ``The play ends when the puck stops moving and I've got control of it.''

Fernandez also stopped Arhipov's point-blank shot during a power play in overtime, and Arkhipov's rebound shot hit the post.

``That's why he's one of the top goalies in the league,'' Walz said.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Marian Gaborik and Walz scored in regulation for Minnesota. Tuomo Ruutu, Martin Havlat and Cam Barker scored for Chicago.

With Minnesota trailing 3-1, Gaborik had a short-handed goal late in the second period and Walz connected midway through the third to tie the score.

The Blackhawks are 1-7-1 in their last nine games, immediately following a 9-3-3 run after Denis Savard took over as coach on Nov. 27.

Barker's goal snapped Chicago's 0-for-11 slump on the power play, and was the Blackhawks' third in 21 5-on-3 advantages this season. Chicago has only three power-play goals in its last 44 chances overall.

Chicago's Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 24 shots in his 18th straight start.

After a scoreless first period, Ruutu and Havlat scored 29 seconds apart in the opening minute of the second to give Chicago a 2-0 lead.

Ruutu had his first goal in 13 games just 30 seconds into the period. After his initial shot was blocked, he slid a second attempt underneath Fernandez's pads. Havlat made it 2-0 when he took Duncan Keith's crisp feed from the left point and tucked in a backhander.

Bouchard pulled Minnesota to 2-1 at 1:36 of the second, stealing the puck from Chicago defenseman Dustin Byfuglien and firing a shot between Khabibulin's legs.

Barker made it 3-1 on the two-man advantage with 8:05 left in the second, scoring his first NHL goal hours after being recalled from Norfolk of the AHL.

Gaborik's short-handed goal with 3:14 left in the period pulled the Wild within one, and Walz tied the score at 7:55 of the third.