Ryan Reaves and Frederick Gaudreau scored, and Filip Gustavsson made 22 saves for the Wild (42-22-9), who are 3-0-1 during a four-game point streak and moved one point ahead of the Dallas Stars for first place in the Central Division. The Stars lost 3-1 to the Vancouver Canucks later Saturday.
"This is a game we should win," Gustavsson said. "That's what we said before, these two points are our points if we don't play the wrong way. It was tight out there today. It didn't feel like we really had the speed in the first period and it was kind of slow. We got a goal and we tried to ride it out, but they scored [to make it] 1-1. And then 'Hartsy' bailed us out today."
Lukas Reichel scored, and Alex Stalock made 22 saves for the Blackhawks (24-42-6), who have lost four in a row.
"I thought the guys skated really hard," Chicago coach Luke Richardson said. "Disappointing that they didn't get at least a point, get to overtime, but you know, it was just an unfortunate bounce to the end. I think right from the start we played really in their way and frustrated them quite a bit. That was the game plan is the forecheck and tracking and really giving them no room out there."
Reaves gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead at 7:45 of the second period. He stole the puck near the left boards, brought it around the back of the net and backhanded it in front, where it was deflected in.
"It doesn't matter how it goes in as long as it goes in," Reaves said.