Avalanche need to recapture past form vs. Blackhawks

Despite having the NHL's best record with 98 points, the Colorado Avalanche go into their Friday road game against the Chicago Blackhawks with a 1-3-1 record in the past five games.

The Avalanche lost 2-1 to the visiting Stars in a shootout on Wednesday during a playoff-style contest in which second-place Dallas moved within two points of first-place Colorado in the Central Division.

"I watch our team play like that, and (I have) very little issues with the way we played," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "I've said it all along -- I'm not going to judge our team on results only. I think that's a losing battle. I think you play like that and good things will happen. From the goaltender out, everyone was good and (the) power play was good."

Defenseman Cale Makar got the Avalanche's only goal, a power-play effort late in the first period that gave Colorado a 1-0 lead. It was Makar's 20th of the season, his third consecutive campaign reaching that mark. The two-time Norris Trophy winner is the first defenseman with three straight 20-goal seasons since Phil Housley and Al MacInnis in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Makar has scored 20 goals four times in his career.

"We knew what was at stake in this game: Big points for the division," Makar said. "For guys to be able to come out and show up, it shows we've got a lot of gamers on this team, a lot of guys with character. So up and down the lineup, I thought everyone played a great role tonight."

Colorado defenseman Brent Burns played in his 1,564th career game, which ties Nicklas Lidstrom for 14th all-time.

The Blackhawks are 3-1-1 in their past five after beating the Minnesota Wild 2-1 on Thursday in Saint Paul, Minn.

It was Chicago's first win over Minnesota since Nov. 10, 2024, and first regulation road victory against the Wild since Nov. 4, 2017.

"I would say, honestly, from our perspective, we really haven't paid much attention to that," Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said. "I've been part of those both ways in this league. And sometimes they go beyond the actual team, especially our team because we have so many young guys."

Spencer Knight made 28 saves for the Blackhawks.

"We just stuck to our team game and just stayed with it. It's a privilege to be in those close games," said Knight. "Those are games we want to be in, and it feels good."

Chicago's Ilya Mikheyev and Connor Bedard scored.

Bedard's breakaway goal in the second period made it 2-0. It was the 12th career game-winning goal for Bedard, who passed Jonathan Toews and Bobby Hull, who both had 11 and had jointly held the team record for most winning goals at 20 or younger.

"I thought guys just really committed to play the right way and play both sides of the puck," Knight said, "and I think that showed really well in the third period for us. And just weathered the storm. I think that's what you have to do with those close games."