Having played its best hockey of the season entering Saturday night’s game against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks, the Avalanche didn’t hit the brakes. But the breaks didn’t go the Avs’ way in a fast-paced, end-to-end affair at the Pepsi Center.
The Blackhawks got power-play goals from Brent Seabrook and Patrick Sharp to pull away for a 5-2 victory that snapped Colorado’s three-game winning streak and six-game points streak.
Seabrook and Sharp scored with Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene off for delay-of-game and interference minors, respectively. MacKinnon inadvertently flipped the puck out of play in the defensive zone in a 2-2 game, and Duchene appeared to make incidental contact with a Chicago player in the neutral zone.
“It would have been great to come back with the lead after one period. But it was a 2-2 game, a hard-fought game, and we took a penalty throwing the puck in the stands,” Avs coach Patrick Roy said. “From there, I’d say the power play was the difference in the game. They scored on that power play, and the next one in the third period. We had our chances (on the power play), but we just didn’t manage the puck well, get the rebounds and quality shots on net.”
Trailing 4-2 midway through the third, the Avs failed to convert on a 40-second, 5-on-3 power play that turned into a 1:20, one-man advantage.
“Their power play was better than ours,” Duchene said. “They were able to find more than we did. We didn’t play a bad hockey game. I think we played pretty hard. They’re a playoff, high-octane team. They get two power-play goals and an empty-netter. Even strength, we’re even with them, but we didn’t find the key ones we needed with the power play.”
PHOTOS: Colorado Avlanche lose to Chicago Blackhawks, 5-2
Duchene added, “I think there was a lot of good things in our game tonight.”
The Avs came out flying, similar to their start in Tuesday’s 5-0 rout of St. Louis. Their breakouts were quick and clean, and they utilized their speed entering the offensive zone. Equally as important, they sustained offensive possession. And while they only registered six shots in the first period, they scored twice in an entertaining 2-2 frame that saw Brandon Saad and Patrick Kane produce slick goals for the Blackhawks.
Kane added an empty-net goal with 5.4 seconds left for the final score.
MacKinnon and Erik Johnson had the Avalanche’s goals, forging leads of 1-0 and 2-1. MacKinnon’s skilled wrist shot snapped his 16-game goal drought, while Johnson remained hot with his sixth in the last six games. Johnson’s 10th goal tied him for first among NHL defensemen.
Chicago took its first lead 13:14 into the second period on the power play, with Seabrook’s big blast beating rookie goalie Calvin Pickard inside the far post. The Avs only had one power play through two periods, compared with three for Chicago. And that seemed to be the difference to that point.
“I need to be better,” said Pickard, who stopped 28-of-32 shots. “It would have been nice to keep this going, but the pucks just didn’t go in on the other end.”
Mike Chambers: mchambers@denverpost.com or
Streak stopped
The Blackhawks ended the Avalanche’s’ six-game points streak Saturday night. Some facts and figures from the streak:
Avs goalie Calvin Pickard was in goal five of the six games during the streak and had allowed nine goals in those games, going 3-0-2. On Saturday, Pickard allowed four goals in his second loss to the Blackhawks this season. He had 42 saves in a 3-2 loss Nov. 26. Colorado defenseman Erik Johnson scored five goals in the six-game unbeaten streak and added another goal Saturday in the loss. His 10 goals are tied for second on the ‘s 10 points in the six-game streak moved it from 10 points out of a playoff spot to seven points out.
