February 28, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson (42) checks Chicago Blackhawks left wing Tyler Bertuzzi (59) with his hip during the first period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Image Cale Makar scored twice, Gavin Brindley also had a goal, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 on Saturday night in Denver.
Mackenzie Blackwood gave up 14 shots and Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas each had two assists for Colorado, which bounced back from a disappointing home loss to Minnesota on Thursday night. The Avalanche have an NHL-high 87 points.
Connor Bedard scored and Spencer Knight made 32 saves for Chicago, which has lost eight of its last nine games. The Blackhawks are averaging just 1.5 goals in their eight losses.
Chicago created several scoring opportunities early in the third, including a Bedard slapshot on the power play that Blackwood stopped with a glove save, but the Avalanche got the go-ahead goal with 7:31 to play.
Brindley cleaned up a rebound from Sam Malinski on his fourth shift of the game and fired a shot past Knight to give Colorado the lead.
Knight went for an extra skater with 2:05 left and Makar sealed it with an empty-netter at 18:33.
The Blackhawks had nearly 35 seconds to go when Blackwood got his glove on Jason Dickinson’s breakaway shot and went off the crossbar.
Chicago took a 1-0 lead on the power play late in the first half. Tyler Bertuzzi fed Bedard as he skated to the right circle, and the 20-year-old beat Blackwood with a high, glove-side shot at 6:31.
Chicago didn’t produce many shots after Bedard’s goal, finishing the first period with four and none in the second until 8:39 in the frame. Knight kept the Blackhawks in the lead with several key saves before the Avalanche finally broke through at the end of the fourth power play.
As Oliver Moore’s tripping penalty expired, Necas sent the puck to MacKinnon in the corner as Makar drifted to the right circle. MacKinnon fed him a dish pass and Makar’s wrister beat Knight inside the far post with 8.3 seconds left in the second period.
–Field level media
