Cale Makar scored twice, including an empty-netter, and Gavin Brindley added a key goal as the Avalanche battled past the Blackhawks 3–1 for their second win in three games since the Olympic break.
DENVER — It wasn’t always pretty, but the Colorado Avalanche showed grit, determination, and timely scoring to grind out a 3–1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at Ball Arena.
Gavin Brindley and Cale Makar both snapped goal-scoring droughts, giving the Avs the lift they needed. Makar struck twice, finishing the night with an empty-net goal, while Nathan MacKinnon added a pair of assists to help Colorado capture its second win in three games since returning from the three-week 2026 Winter Olympic break.
Mackenzie Blackwood was outstanding in net for the Avalanche as he stopped 14 of 15 shots. There weren't a ton of scoring opportunities for the Blackhawks, but when they did, they were howitzers.
Connor Bedard scored the lone goal for the Hawks and Spencer Knight stopped 32 of 34 shots.
First Period
After Devon Toews was sent to the box for hooking, the Chicago Blackhawks struck on the power play at 6:31. Shane Wright (Bedard) received a pass from Tyler Bertuzzi from the top of the right circle and sniped it past Blackwood to give Chicago a 1–0 lead.
The Avs quickly gave the Blackhawks another man-advantage chance when Josh Manson was called for tripping the captain, but Colorado successfully killed off the penalty.
Colorado controlled play for much of the frame. Roughly 3:30 before the first intermission, the Avs held a 12–4 edge in shots on goal, yet trailed on the scoreboard. The problem was shot quality and puck control. Too often, Colorado fired directly at the goalie, and their lack of creativity limited scoring chances. Hawks forward Martin Necas — known for his stickhandling — was stripped of the puck on a couple of ill-advised plays, denying Colorado momentum.
Late in the period, Colton Dach was called for holding Brett Kulak’s stick. The first period ended with Chicago ahead 1–0.
Second Period
The Avs started the second period with 1:13 remaining on a power play but couldn’t convert. Colorado then faced a bench minor for too many men on the ice, with Ross Colton serving the penalty.
Early in the period, Bedard was sent off for slashing Jack Drury, sparking a brief four-on-four sequence. Parker Kelly confronted him near the Colorado bench, but no further penalties were called. Colorado’s next power-play opportunity came just a few minutes later after former Avs forward Andre Burakovsky tripped Brent Burns, but once again Colorado failed to capitalize, moving to 0-for-3 on the night with the man advantage.
Despite dominating shots (20–9 midway through the period), sloppy puck control and poor passing continued to frustrate Colorado. MacKinnon turned the puck over in the offensive zone several times, even driving Ryan Donato into the boards in frustration after being stripped.
Colorado’s persistence finally paid off in the waning seconds of the second. Makar received a pass from MacKinnon atop the circle and buried it to tie the game 1–1 just five seconds after a power play expired.
Third Period
Colorado started the third period down a man when Toews was called for hooking Bertuzzi. After an early shorthanded attempt was denied by the goalie, Bedard nearly scored on a blistering one-timer from the left circle, but Blackwood made a highlight-reel save.
Around the five-minute mark, Colton appeared to beat his opponent to the puck to prevent an icing, but the officials ruled otherwise, leaving him visibly frustrated.
At 7:31, Brindley scored the go-ahead goal, punching in a rebound off a point shot from Sam Malinski just as the goalie tried to snatch it. Colorado led 2–1.
The Avs then killed a late penalty when captain Landeskog was called for slashing Bedard, keeping the lead intact. In the closing stages, the Hawks pulled their goalie for an extra attacker, but Makar sealed the victory with his second goal of the night into an empty net, giving Colorado a 3–1 win.
