Play of the Game: Connor Murphy was a FULL-ON Wrecking Ball in the Blackhawks 3-2 loss to the Wild

In a wild, chippy preseason game that had a little bit of everything — from goals to several scoring chances to an all-out Royal Rumble brawl — the play that changed the mood of the Blackhawks' game against the Wild was Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy being a full-on wrecking ball in the Hawks' 3-2 loss to the Wild.

With 13:19 left in the second period, Connor Murphy delivered a bone-rattling check on Matt Boldy along the boards. That hit ignited a full-blown scuffle, with Joel Eriksson Ek and Wyatt Kaiser jumping in. Both Murphy and Wild defenseman Jake Middleton were sent to the box for matching minors.

Just minutes later, Murphy laid another great hit — this time on Wild forward Nico Sturm — setting the tone for Chicago. They showed that they weren't going to be pushed around or go down without a fight, even if the scoreboard was tilting in Minnesota's favor.

Narrative Takeaway: Murphy sets the Tone

The first period was all Blackhawks. They got goals from Frank Nazar and Nick Foligno, which gave them early momentum. But in the second period, it was all Minnesota. They scored all three of their goals on the power play (Vladimir Tarasenko, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Ryan Hartman scored on the power play for the Wild).

Despite the Wild's second-period surge, the Blackhawks controlled much of the game, and Murphy changed the tone and setting with those two hits. Those hits also carried over in the third period, where the Blackhawks outshot the Wild 16-3, nearly tying the game on several chances from Bedard, Donato, and Rinzel.

The Blackhawks play their final game of the preseason against another Central Division rival in the St. Louis Blues Saturday. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. CDT on CHSN. For fans out of market, they can watch on ESPN+ or listen on WGN Radio 720.