Martin Necas had a goal and two assists to lead Colorado to a 4-1 win over the host Chicago Blackhawks on Friday as the Avalanche became the first NHL team this season to clinch a playoff spot.
Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri, Valeri Nichushkin also scored for the Avalanche (45-13-10, 100 points). Nathan MacKinnon logged three assists, Nichushkin had two points and Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves as Colorado ended a three-game skid (0-2-1).
Defenseman Wyatt Kaiser tallied the lone goal for the Blackhawks (26-31-12, 64 points), who had been 3-1-1 in their previous five. Arvid Soderblom stopped 45 shots.
Necas opened the scoring with 6:41 left in the first period with a one-time shot from the left circle that went in off Soderblom’s shoulder, culminating a 3-on-2 rush.
Nelson’s power-play goal with 4:38 remaining in the first made it 2-0. He tipped in defenseman Cale Makar’s shot/pass. It was Nelson’s first goal in 12 games.
Kaiser cut the lead to 2-1, 6:48 into the second period by taking a pass in the high slot, skating in on a partial breakaway and beating Blackwood.
But Kadri restored the two-goal lead just 36 seconds into the third period with a power-play tally. He connected with a shot into the open short side from the lower portion of the right circle. It came only 23 seconds after Ryan Donato went off for tripping.
Nichushkin capitalized to make it 4-1 at 8:34 of the third when the puck rolled off the stick of Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov in front of his net. MacKinnon picked up the loose puck and set up Nichushkin, who ripped a shot in from the slot.
Blackwood denied Andre Burakovsky on a breakaway with a little over 8:50 left in the first period and stopped Levshunov on a breakaway with about 5:30 remaining in the game.
The Avalanche, who lead the league with 254 goals scored, had a 20-5 shots advantage in the opening period.
Colorado defenseman Brent Burns played in his 1,565th game, which moved him past Nicklas Lidstrom into 14th place all time.
Chicago was without defenseman Louis Crevier and forward Andrew Mangiapane because of undisclosed injuries.
–Field Level Media
