Blackhawks, Red Wings Earn Sweeps in NHL 20 Player Gaming Challenge

The Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings were in last place when the 2019-20 season was paused, but they became the two latest teams to earn wins in the NHL 20 Player Gaming Challenge. 

Each squad earned a sweep in their respective three-game series.

Thursday's first battle saw Drake Caggiula and Alex DeBrincat of the Chicago Blackhawks against Michael Amadio and Blake Lizotte of the Los Angeles Kings. 

The Blackhawks duo is certainly more established on the ice, with DeBrincat being one of the more exciting young forwards in the NHL. This doesn't necessarily lead to success in the video game, but the team played well right out of the gate.

In Game 1, Chicago turned a 3-3 tie going into the third period into an easy 6-3 victory.

There was a lot more drama in Game 2, as the squads went to overtime. It took nearly 17 minutes into the extra session before Caggiula was able to get the winning goal in the Blackhawks' 4-3 win.

The Blackhawks were then able to complete the sweep with a 6-3 win in the third game, proving their dominance against the younger competition.

The second matchup of the day was a one-on-one battle between Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Madison Bowey.

Bowey was the better player in Game 1, as Dubnyk struggled to make stops with his own avatar. The Wild goalie got some advice from his son, but he was still bad enough to forfeit after the first period.

There wasn't much of a change in the second game, with Bowey coming away with an easy 5-1 victory.

The two players competed in NHL Threes for the final game in a first-to-10 competition, but it was an even bigger blowout, as the Red Wings came away with the 10-2 win.

The player challenge continues Saturday with Edmonton Oilers players Caleb Jones and Darnell Nurse taking on NFL player Luke Willson, who is representing the new Seattle franchise. The event is raising funds for the CDC Foundation, which helps those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.