CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (15-41-5) AT COLORADO AVALANCHE (37-20-5)
7:00 PM MDT | BALL ARENA | WATCH: ALTITUDE TV | LISTEN: 92.5 FM
The Avalanche play their first of three consecutive home games on Monday night against the Blackhawks. Colorado defeated Chicago last Thursday 5-0 at the United Center. This will be the regular season finale between the two clubs; Colorado is 2-1-0 in the three games against Chicago in 2023-24, outscoring them 11-3. The Avs’ sit in third place in the Central Division with 79 points. The Hawks have dropped six straight games, which included a five-game homestand. During the month of February, the Hawks posted a 1-6-2 record. They have recorded the fewest points of any NHL club this season with 35.
Latest Results:
March 2, 2024 NSH: 5 COL: 1
March 2, 2024 CBJ: 5 CHI: 2
KNOCKED BY NASHVILLE
The Avs’ fell to the Predators Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena 5-1. The loss snapped a nine-game winning streak the Avalanche owned against Western Conference foes. Cody Glass kicked off the scoring in the first period with his first of three tallies on the night. The Avalanche responded just 1:42 later when Nathan MacKinnon scored his 37th goal of the season. Nashville scored four consecutive goals, getting contributions from Glass again in the middle frame, Ryan O’Reilly (power play), Tommy Novak (power play) and Glass once again with an empty-net goal.
AVS ACCOMPLISHMENTS
MacKinnon extended his point streak (5g/11a) to nine-games with his tally. The nine-game point streak is tied for the second-longest active run in the NHL, trailing Conor McDavid by one game. With 101 points (37g/64a), the centerman’s point total in 2022-23 marks the seventh-most an Avalanche has tallied in a season since the franchise relocated to Denver.
Mikko Rantanen picked up a helper for the sixth straight game, setting a new season-high for his longest assist streak.
Alexandar Georgiev made his 50th appearance of the campaign. His 31 wins on the season mark the third-most an Avalanche/Nordiques netminder has registered thru his first 50 outings.
Ross Colton played in his 250th career game.
HISTORY
The Avalanche/Nordiques own a 79-57-9-8 all-time record against the Blackhawks, with a 43-23-6-4 mark at home. Since relocating to Denver, the Avs’ are 63-34-3-8 against the Hawks, posting a 34-14-2-4 record at home during that span. Colorado is 10-4-2 in its last 16 matchups with Chicago at Ball Arena, outscoring them 60-37. In the home opener for the Avs’ they defeated the Hawks 4-0 on October 19.
BEATEN BY THE BLUE JACKETS
The Blackhawks were defeated by the Blue Jackets 5-2 at the United Center on Saturday. Columbus opened the scoring with tallies from Alexandre Texier and Boone Jenner. Philipp Kurashev cut the lead in half for Chicago before the first intermission. The Blue Jackets extended their lead to 4-1 when Mathieu Olivier and Cole Sillinger lit the lamp in the middle frame. Chicago brought the deficit to two in the third period, getting a tally from Ryan Donato. Columbus sealed the game with an empty-net goal from Johnny Gaudreau.
STATS TO KNOW
Rantanen (2g/2a) and MacKinnon (0g/4a) pace the Avalanche with three points apiece in three games against Chicago this season.
Zach Parise tallied two goals and an assist in his one game against the Hawks this season.
MacKinnon’s 40 career points (13g/27a) against the Blackhawks are the sixth-most of any active skater in the NHL.
BRILLIANT BLACKHAWKS
Conor Bedard leads the Blackhawks in points this season with 41 (17g/24a). He became the youngest player in NHL history to be named to the All-Star Game this season (18 years old).
Seth Jones recorded his 300th career NHL assist on November 28. He is the first blueliner from the 2013 NHL Draft class to reach that mark.
Philipp Kurashev (33g/63a) is only four points away from 100 in his career
NUMBERS GAME
25:00
Cale Makar ranks ninth among all NHL skaters in average time on ice, recording 25:00 per game.
25
Bowen Byram is only four points from recording a career-high for points in a season with 25. His previous high was last season with 24 (10g/14a).
24.0
The Avalanche’s power play ranks seventh in the NHL by percentage at 24.0%.
QUOTE(S) THAT LEFT A MARK
“Every game of the season matters, the intensity should be there. We didn’t bring it enough tonight and they did. Credit to them, but it means a lot to us too. That one hurts to lose.”
- Colorado D Devon Toews on Saturday’s games intensity
