CHICAGO, IL — The Colorado Avalanche continued their recent surge Monday night, overcoming an early two-goal deficit to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 at the United Center, securing their third consecutive victory.
Nazem Kadri and Jaden Schwartz each scored twice as Colorado responded to a difficult opening period with five unanswered goals. The victory improved the Avalanche to 9-5-1 on the season, including four wins in their last five games, as the team continues to build momentum following an inconsistent start to the 2026-27 campaign.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 21 saves for Colorado, while T.J. Hughes contributed two assists. Devon Toews added an empty-net goal to complete the comeback, extending Colorado’s recent dominance over Chicago.
The Blackhawks, meanwhile, dropped to 4-10-1 and suffered their third consecutive defeat, continuing a difficult stretch that has seen them lose six of their last seven games. (NHL)
Chicago Jumps Ahead Before Colorado Responds
Despite entering the matchup struggling to generate consistent offense, Chicago wasted little time establishing an early advantage.
Defenseman Wyatt Kaiser opened the scoring just 57 seconds into the first period when his shot from the blue line deflected off Colorado defenseman Cale Makar and slipped past Blackwood.
The Blackhawks doubled their advantage at the 7:05 mark when rookie Roman Kantserov finished a two-on-one opportunity created by Connor Bedard. Bedard carried the puck into the offensive zone before delivering a cross-ice pass that Kantserov converted for his team-leading sixth goal of the season.
The assist extended Bedard’s point streak to six games, providing another encouraging individual performance despite Chicago’s struggles in the standings.
Colorado appeared to cut into the deficit midway through the period when Martin Necas found the back of the net, but Chicago successfully challenged the play for goaltender interference against Gabriel Landeskog, preserving its 2-0 lead.
However, the Avalanche quickly shifted momentum with two goals separated by just 26 seconds.
Kadri started the comeback at 15:23, diving toward the crease to push a loose puck past Chicago goaltender Spencer Knight following an initial shot from Landeskog.
Schwartz followed almost immediately, receiving a pass from Hughes before scoring from the left faceoff circle at 15:49 to tie the game.
What had appeared to be an encouraging opening period for Chicago quickly turned into a missed opportunity, with Colorado erasing the entire deficit before the first intermission. (NHL)
Kadri and Schwartz Take Control in Second Period
Colorado carried its momentum into the second period, gradually establishing greater control of possession and limiting Chicago’s offensive opportunities.
The Avalanche finally took their first lead at 13:38 when Kadri redirected a shot from Makar past Knight during a power play.
The goal came shortly after Bedard was penalized for holding Kadri, giving Colorado the opportunity to capitalize with the man advantage.
Kadri’s second goal of the night was his fourth of the season, with all four coming over his previous six games. His recent scoring production has provided Colorado with another offensive weapon as the Avalanche attempt to climb the Central Division standings.
Schwartz added his second goal with just 10.6 seconds remaining in the period, redirecting a shot from Sam Malinski to extend Colorado’s advantage to 4-2.
The late goal was particularly damaging for Chicago, which had entered the second period tied before surrendering two unanswered goals.
Schwartz’s performance continued a productive stretch in which he has recorded three goals and an assist over his last three games.
Colorado entered the final period with a two-goal advantage after completely reversing the game’s early momentum. (CBS Sports)
Blackwood Holds Chicago Scoreless Over Final Two Periods
While Colorado’s offensive comeback highlighted the victory, Blackwood’s performance in net played an equally important role.
After allowing two goals during the opening seven minutes, Blackwood settled into the game and prevented Chicago from scoring again.
The Avalanche goaltender finished with 21 saves on 23 shots, posting a .913 save percentage.
Chicago generated opportunities to reduce the deficit during the third period, including a dangerous chance from Frank Nazar that struck both the crossbar and post. However, the Blackhawks were unable to capitalize.
Colorado’s defensive structure improved significantly following its difficult opening minutes, limiting second-chance opportunities and forcing Chicago to work for sustained offensive pressure.
The Blackhawks also failed to convert on all four of their power-play opportunities, further complicating their attempt to mount a comeback.
Toews eventually secured the victory with an empty-net goal at 17:38 of the third period, giving Colorado its fifth unanswered goal and completing the 5-2 final score.
The Avalanche finished with a 29-23 advantage in shots on goal, while Knight made 24 saves in the loss. (Reuters)
Patrick Kane Exits With Injury as Chicago’s Struggles Continue
Adding to Chicago’s frustrations was the loss of veteran forward Patrick Kane, who exited the game late in the second period and did not return.
Kane left with an upper-body injury, and Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill indicated afterward that the veteran would miss the team’s next couple of games.
The injury creates another obstacle for a Chicago team already struggling to generate consistent offensive production.
Despite encouraging performances from younger players such as Bedard and Kantserov, the Blackhawks have struggled to maintain leads and produce complete 60-minute performances.
Monday’s defeat marked the second consecutive game in which Chicago surrendered a multi-goal advantage.
The Blackhawks also entered the matchup having lost five of their previous six games, and their latest defeat continued a concerning early-season trend.
With Chicago sitting at 4-10-1 through 15 games, the team faces growing pressure to find consistency before falling further behind in the Western Conference playoff race. (Chicago Hockey Now)
Colorado Finding Its Rhythm After Inconsistent Start
For the Avalanche, Monday’s victory represents another encouraging development as the team attempts to establish consistency during the opening month of the season.
Colorado has now won three consecutive games and four of its previous five, improving to 9-5-1 and strengthening its position in the Central Division.
Perhaps more importantly, the Avalanche are beginning to receive meaningful offensive contributions beyond their established stars.
Nathan MacKinnon and Makar remain central to Colorado’s offensive identity, but the emergence of secondary scoring from players such as Kadri and Schwartz provides the team with greater flexibility.
Both players demonstrated their value Monday, combining for four of Colorado’s five goals while helping turn an early deficit into a convincing road victory.
The Avalanche also continue to enjoy considerable success against Chicago, improving to 15-4-0 over their last 19 meetings with the Blackhawks.
That sustained success illustrates the gap that has existed between the two franchises in recent seasons, with Colorado remaining a perennial postseason contender while Chicago continues developing its younger roster.
However, Colorado’s early-season inconsistencies have demonstrated that talent alone does not guarantee success.
The Avalanche will need to maintain their improved defensive play and balanced offensive production against stronger opponents if they hope to continue climbing the Western Conference standings. (CBS Sports)
Avalanche Look to Extend Winning Streak Against Columbus
Colorado will have little time to celebrate its latest victory, as the Avalanche travel to Columbus to face the Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.
The matchup presents an opportunity for Colorado to extend its winning streak to four games and continue building momentum during a demanding stretch of the schedule.
Chicago, meanwhile, will travel to Florida on Wednesday to face the Panthers, beginning a challenging three-game road trip that also includes matchups against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes.
For the Avalanche, the most encouraging aspect of Monday’s victory was not simply the final score, but the manner in which they responded to adversity.
Trailing 2-0 less than eight minutes into the game, Colorado refused to allow its early mistakes to dictate the outcome.
Instead, the Avalanche responded with five consecutive goals, received contributions throughout the lineup, and shut down Chicago’s offense over the final two periods.
Three consecutive victories do not erase the inconsistencies that characterized Colorado’s opening weeks, but they provide evidence of a team beginning to find its identity.
With Kadri and Schwartz producing offensively, Blackwood providing stability in net, and Colorado’s established stars continuing to influence games, the Avalanche appear to be moving in the right direction.
If that balance continues, Colorado’s recent winning streak could represent the beginning of a much more sustained run as the NHL season progresses. (NHL)
