CHICAGO — These aren't the same Blackhawks that were still a handful in the afterglow of the dynasty years that yielded three Stanley Cups between 2010 and 2015.
But the Wild is different, too.
In their first reunion in almost two years, both franchises' new directions were on display as the Wild creamed its rebuilding rival, 5-1, on Friday at United Center for the team's fourth win over the last five games.
The rematch is Saturday in St. Paul.
Ryan Hartman scored twice, rookie Calen Addison registered the first multi-point game of his young career and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen made 35 saves in another impressive start in place of injured No.1 Cam Talbot.
Overall, nine Wild players picked up at least a point.
This outpouring of offense started early, with Marcus Foligno burying a backhand pass from Addison just 2 minutes, 58 seconds into the first period for Foligno's 15th goal and Addison's first career assist.
With an assist later in the evening, Foligno is now one point shy of matching his career-best of 26 set last season.
The rest of the period was a highlight reel for Hartman.
The former Blackhawk who grew up in the Chicago suburbs had a one-timer hit the crossbar and bank off the back of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury's right arm before falling into the net at 4:07, his first goal and point in his seventh game against his former team.
With 2:48 to go in the first, Hartman tallied his second goal of the night — this time a shot from the right side that slipped through Fleury.
Not only was that Hartman's team-leading 18th goal, one shy of tying his career high from 2016-17 with Chicago, but Hartman also eclipsed his previous record for points in a season by reaching 32. This was his fourth career multi-goal game and first with the Wild.
Hartman's linemates Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello assisted on each of Hartman's goals, contributions that extended their recent runs.
Kaprizov has multiple points in three straight games and five of his last six. Zuccarello's also turned in three consecutive multi-point games and is on a seven-game point streak that's tied for the longest of his career.
Addison's second career goal, a slapshot through traffic 12:05 into the second, chased Fleury from the game. He exited after surrendering four goals on 13 shots and was replaced by Kevin Lankinen, who totaled 16 saves in relief.
Before the second period ended, Lankinen was eluded by a Brandon Duhaime backdoor shot at 16:26 set up by Kevin Fiala, who pushed his season-long point streak to seven games.
Duhaime finished an assist shy of a Gordie Howe hat trick.
He fought the Blackhawks' Riley Stillman in the first period and as that tussle was wrapping up, another one broke out between Wild rookie Connor Dewar and Chicago's MacKenzie Entwistle and both players were kicked out of the game.
According to Rule 46.7, a game misconduct is the penalty for fighting after the original altercation has started.
That meant both sides were playing shorthanded the rest of the game, but that didn't slow down the Wild. None of the team's goals came on the power play (0 for 2).
As for the Blackhawks, they went 0 for 3 and didn't spoil Kahkonen's shutout bid until 5:03 was left in the game on a shot from Dylan Strome that came as Kahkonen appeared to lose his footing in the crease.
Nevertheless, he's 4-0-1 since taking over for Talbot and 8-1-2 over his last 12 appearances.
