Avalanche clinch playoff spot with convincing win over Blackhawks
Martin Necas had a goal and two assists to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-1 win over the host Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.
Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri, Valeri Nichushkin also scored for the Avalanche (45-13-10, 100 pts.), who became the first team this season to clinch a playoff spot. Nathan MacKinnon had three assists and Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves.
Defenseman Wyatt Kaiser tallied the lone goal for the Blackhawks (26-31-12, 64 pts.), 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 moves him past Nicklas Lidstrom, into 14th place all- time.
Chicago was without defenseman Louis Crevier and forward Andrew Mangiapane because of undisclosed injuries.