If not for a sensational effort by Chicago goalie Petr Mrazek, the score would have been more lopsided as Colorado dominated its home opener and fired off 41 shots.
The Chicago Blackhawks sure played like an exhausted, overmatched, rebuilding team in a 4-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.
The Avs dominated with relentless speed and skating in their home opener to win their fourth straight game to start 2023-24. The Blackhawks were left dragging in the dust in the finale of their season-opening five game road trip and fell to 2-3.
Neither Connor Bedard (right) or linemate Taylor Hall managed much in this one.Chicago goalie Petr Mrazek made 37 saves in a terrific effort. The 31-year-old came up with at least a dozen tough stops to keep the final score from becoming ridiculous.
Bedard Smothered, Along With Everyone Else
Chicago rookie Connor Bedard entered with 20 shots on goal and 36 attempted in his first four games, Against Colorado, the NHL's top draft pick of 2023 managed no shots on goal and wasn't even credited with attempting one in 19:37 of ice time as the Avalanche limited the 18-year-old center's room on the ice.
Neither Bedard or his teammates had the puck often at the Ball Arena. See comments from coach Luke Richardson in the video below.
Logan O'Connor, Ryan Johansen, Devon Toews and Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche, who had an apparent second-period goal by Miles Wood erased when a video review showed they entered the Chicago zone offside.
Colorado goalie Alexandar Georgiev was tested only early in the game by Chicago in his 14th career shutout. He needed to make only 18 saves.
Short-Handed Goal by O'Connor Launches Avs
The Avalanche outshot the Blackhawks 22-8 in the first period and absolutely took charge after O'Connor scored his second short-handed goal this season at 11:46.
Logan O'Connor (25) ignited the Avs with a short-handed goal.O'Connor streaked in alone and beat Mrazek over his left arm after Chicago lost a puck battle on the right wing boards of the Colorado zone during a lukewarm power play.
With Bedard nearby, Ryan Donato lost the puck to Josh Manson against the wall. Manson flipped it off the stick of Andrew Cogliano to O'Connor who took off.
Mrazek kept it at 1-0 with a series of sensational saves as until Johansen upped it to 2-0 with his first goal with the Avalanche, a power-play score on a rebound with 1:19 left in the period. Mrazek made a point-blank pad save on Johansen from the edge of the crease, but Johansen kept digging and fired the puck in.
Johansen came to Colorado from Nashville in an offseason trade.
It didn't get much better in the second for Chicago.
Toews gave the Avs a 3-0 lead at 13:18, firing into an open net from the right side after taking a nifty pass from Valeri Nichushkin. The play started when Blackhawks center Lukas Reichel made a weak clearing pass from behind the Chicago net.
MacKinnon, the NHL's No.1 draft pick in 2013, iced it by firing in a rebound midway through the third.
Blackhawks forward Nick Foligno said his team's effort was, well, pretty lousy. See the video below.
Not-So Special Teams
The Blackhawks failed on four power play attempts to drop to 1-for-22 with the man advantage. They allowed their second short-handed goal in five games.
Winging It Home
The Blackhawks finally play their home opener on Saturday. They'll face the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, who are off to a 5-0 start.
Miles Wood (28) had a goal erased by an offside.The team's chartered Boeing 737 was scheduled to land at about 3:30 a.m. CT. They won't practice on Friday as they return home from a 10-day trip.
Colorado Viewpoint
See The Hockey News Colorado Avalanche team site for stories at https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/