CHICAGO — In a notable matchup on Wednesday night, the Chicago Blackhawks triumphed over the Colorado Avalanche with a final score of 3-1.
Connor Bedard showcased his talent once again by contributing a goal and an assist, helping his team secure the victory after having struggled with six losses in their previous seven games. Petr Mrazek was impressive in goal, managing to make 35 saves throughout the contest.
Bedard extended the Blackhawks’ lead to 3-1 by scoring his 11th goal 11 minutes and 54 seconds into the third period, continuing his strong performance with four goals and seven assists during an active eight-game point streak—the best of his career in just his second season.
On the other side, Juuso Parssinen found the net for Colorado in their opening game of a three-game road trip. Trent Miner, making his first NHL start, stopped 17 shots but could not secure a win. Colorado was missing forward Jonathan Drouin, who was out with an upper-body injury, and with this loss, they fell to a record of 12-4-1 in their last 17 appearances.
The Avalanche gained the early lead when Parssinen executed a backhand shot that went in at 6:14 in the first period, marking his first goal since joining the team in a trade from Nashville on December 28.
Chicago responded shortly after, with Ilya Mikheyev netting his eighth goal of the season with just 3 minutes and 12 seconds left in the first period.
Later, Frank Nazar pushed the Blackhawks ahead by scoring 10:17 into the second period. Colton Dach earned his first point in the NHL, as his shot bounced off Miner, allowing Nazar to capitalize on the rebound for his second career goal.
Key Takeaways: For the Avalanche, this defeat was a rough start to the trip, particularly after suffering a similar loss to the same team just a few weeks prior. Meanwhile, Blackhawks’ player Nazar performed well after being recalled from the minors, finally scoring after 11 games without a goal in that stretch.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Mrazek made a spectacular sliding save against Nathan MacKinnon with only 21.2 seconds remaining in the second period, preserving Chicago’s narrow 2-1 lead at that point.
In terms of special teams, the Avalanche struggled, going 0 for 2 on power plays throughout the game.
Looking ahead, Colorado will play against Minnesota on Thursday night, while Chicago is set to face Detroit on Friday night.
