MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jason Pominville and Erik Haula each had a goal and two assists, and the Minnesota Wild celebrated the first outdoor game in franchise history with a 6-1 victory on Sunday over the Chicago Blackhawks.
In front of a crowd of 50,426 at TCF Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus with an ideal faceoff temperature of 35 degrees, the Wild turned the NHL’s 17th edition of open-air hockey into a romp past their postseason nemesis and primary rival.
The Blackhawks pulled goalie Corey Crawford for Scott Darling after 19 saves in two periods. Nino Niederreiter and Ryan Carter each added a goal and an assist, and Matt Dumba and Thomas Vanek also scored.
Patrick Kane ended Devan Dubnyk’s shutout pursuit with his Western Conference-leading 35th goal midway through the third period. Dubnyk stopped 31 shots.
Ten players tallied at least one point for the Wild, including all three former Golden Gophers in…