MINNEAPOLIS — Bring on the Red Wings and the Winter Classic.
Dustin Byfuglien led Chicago to its franchise-record ninth straight victory, scoring two goals and adding an assist in the Blackhawks’ 4-1 decision over the Wild on Sunday.
Chicago, set to play Detroit in a home-and-home series, broke the team record of eight straight victories set in December 1971 and matched in January 1981. With the nine-game streak, the Blackhawks tied the San Jose Sharks for the longest run of the season.
“There’s just a sense of calmness,” Chicago center Jonathan Toews said. “I think any other team would be excited to be in this situation, and sometimes when you have that momentum, you get a little overexcited. We just need to keep our sticks on the ice and keep it simple.”
Martin Havlat and Kris Versteeg also scored, and Cristobal Huet made 18 saves, allowing only Cal Clutterbuck’s third-period goal.
Minnesota has lost seven of its last 10 games.
“Nine wins in a row shows something about their team. But they aren’t that good,” Wild center Mikko Koivu said. “They outworked us tonight. We had one guy tonight, that was (goalie Niklas) Backstrom, who had the effort to play this game.
“If that’s not going to change, there is something wrong inside of the team and in every player in this room.”
Chicago trails Detroit by four points in the Central Division with two games in hand. They will play Tuesday night in Detroit and Thursday in Chicago in the Winter Classic, outdoors at Wrigley Field. Detroit handed Chicago its last loss — 5-4 in a shootout Nov. 29.
“We’re excited about this game coming up. There’s going to be a lot of talk, but that’s nothing new,” Toews said. “Everyone’s talking about the game on Jan. 1, but we’re keeping focused on every upcoming game as if it’s the biggest game of the season.”
