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Demitra's shootout goal lifts Wild over Blackhawks

Jan 15, 2007 - 4:40 AM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Pavol Demitra and the Minnesota Wild earned their third straight road win, but it was not easy.

Demitra scored the lone goal of the shootout and Manny Fernandez preserved the victory with a controversial save as the Wild downed the Chicago Blackhawks, 4-3.

Minnesota improved to 7-15-1 on the road while the Blackhawks dropped their sixth straight game.

"It was a real big win for us, especially coming back from a two-goal deficit on the road," Minnesota's Pierre-Marc Bouchard said. "We didn't have a great start, but we did show some character."

In the third round of the shootout, Chicago's Denis Arkhipov had to score to keep the Blackhawks alive, and he deked Fernandez on the forehand. The goaltender made the save but gave up on the puck, which still had momentum and slid inches over the goal line as Fernandez nonchalantly kicked it out, thinking he had made the save.

"The play ends when the puck stops moving, and I have control of it," Fernandez said. "It's tough, though, for everyone, because we are going so fast but it's the referee's call."

The officials initially called it a goal, but after a five-minute review, the goal was disallowed and the game was over.

"During shootouts the video goal judge has an open phone line with Toronto, and he gives us a thumbs-up before we let the next shooter go," referee Dave Jackson said. "The judge told us the play was under review by Toronto. Toronto took the time and came back and said the puck was never in. They said they had a conclusive look and said the puck was never over the line, and they were making the call."

"It was a goal, no doubt it was a goal," Chicago coach Denis Savard said. "Even the referee (Jackson) told us it was a goal. I don't know what else to say, other than everyone needs to get on the same page."

Earlier, Demitra scored the lone goal in the shootout when he deked goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin and backhanded the puck past him.

Trailing 3-2, the Wild tied the game on Wes Walz's seventh goal at 7:55 of the third period. Walz skated into the low slot, took a pass from behind the net from Bouchard and poked the puck past Khabibulin.

Fernandez finished with 28 saves while Khabibulin recorded 24.

Marian Gaborik, who missed 34 games earlier in the season, scored his fifth goal in his last three games at 16:46 of the second period shorthanded when he beat Khabibulin from close range to slice Chicago's lead to 3-2.

Bouchard scored the other goal for Minnesota, which went 0-for-7 on the power play.

Tuomo Ruutu, Martin Havlat and defenseman Cam Barker scored for the Blackhawks, who were 1-for-5 with the extra skater.

Barker's goal, his first career tally in his second NHL game, came at 11:55 of the second period when he one-timed a shot from the right faceoff dot to give the Blackhawks a 3-1 lead.

"Somebody grabbed the puck for me," Barker said. "But it is just nice to come up and contribute right away. (Radim) Vrbata just made a nice pass to me and I shot it."