ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Jamal Mayers scored his sixth of the season but Devin Setoguchi once again had the shootout winner as the Blackhawks fell to the Minnesota Wild 2-1 on Thursday night.
The Blackhawks remain in sixth place with 99 points heading into Saturday's finale against the Detroit Red Wings, who lost to New Jersey tonight and have 101 points.
The Blackhawks could've opened a bigger lead on the Wild late in the first and early in the second periods. Wild defenseman Nate Prosser head-butted Mayers, drawing a major and putting the Blackhawks on a five-minute power play. But they could do nothing on that, or the other power plays they had on the evening.
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Another chance for a 2-0 lead was thwarted in the third period, when Bryan Bickell's high stick-deflected shot was ruled no goal on the ice and replays were inconclusive to overturn it.
Cal Clutterbuck deflected a power-play goal past Corey Crawford to tie it with 3:12 remaining in regulation. Crawford stopped 22 of 23 in the loss.