Georgiev Gets Fifth Shutout Of Season

The Colorado Avalanche went into Monday looking for a sixth win in a row and looking to gain ground on the first place Dallas Stars. The Chicago Blackhawks had nothing to lose as they are pushing close to last place in the entire league. What would have been a great game a couple of years ago, has become a walkthrough for Colorado as of late. Alexandar Georgiev would get the easy start for the Avalanche and manage his fifth shutout of the season. 

First Period 

The Colorado Avalanche bottom lines were rolling along with the bottom pairs. Alex Galchenyuk and Kurtis MacDermid were able to produce three of the eleven shots in the period. MacDermid was able to score his first of the year with a play that started with Matt Nieto shaking a defender off behind the Chicago net. Nieto was able to get loose and get the puck to Brad Hunt who didn’t hesitate to get it to MacDermid on the opposite side. He snapped it towards the net and it bounced off the shins of Ian Mitchell and past goaltender Alex Stalock. Defensively, the Blackhawks wingers went too low during the play, opening the chance for the Colorado defensemen to get the puck and shoot the puck. 

Kurtis MacDermid pinballs one off a member of the Blackhawks and into the net, Avalanche strike first!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/fE6EDeGvze

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) March 21, 2023

Second Period

Colorado continued to roll in the second by adding two goals in the period. About six minutes into the period Denis Malgin started an exit out of his own zone and crossed the blue line. He dropped a pass to Valeri Nichushkin and crossed in front, going towards the net to receive the pass right back and chip it past a diving Stalock. Colorado took the lead 2-0. Just after ten minutes into the period Jason Dickinson got Chicago’s first penalty of the night and the Avalanche made them pay for it. Chicago couldn’t clear the puck and J.T. Compher played a little pass with Bowen Byram on top of the slot. Byram worked it over to Mikko Rantanen and he snapped a shot in to make it 3-0. In both circumstances, the side that the goal was scored on was completely open and not covered for Chicago.

Third Period

The Avalanche steamrolled their way through the final period of the night by again adding two more to the board. With about six and half minutes left in the period,  Samuel Girard worked it down the boards under pressure. He slipped it to Malgin who tapped it over to Logan O’Connor who rifled it in from the right face off dot to make it 4-0. Twelve seconds later, Rantanen carried it in the zone and passed it down to Nathan MacKinnon on the goal line. MacKinnon pulled off a between the legs pass to Malgin and threw it over Stalock’ shoulders. The Avalanche would take the lead 5-0.

Conclusion

Although the Blackhawks only have 54 points to the Avalanche 88 points, this game was a confidence builder game. The third and fourth lines were buzzing and producing scoring chances all night long. In fact, it was the fourth line that got the scoring started for the Avalanche in the first period. Malign saw his first career three point game in his 255 game career. Galchenyuk played one of his best games in an Avalanche sweater so far. The Avalanche won their sixth straight game and are in second place in the Central Division. They are also only one point behind Dallas. They will take on Pittsburgh on Wednesday night in Denver looking for their seventh win in row.