Avs top Blackhawks with big third period
The official game recap Chicago Blackhawks vs. Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche scored three goals in the third period to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 at United Center on Friday.
Defenseman Tyson Barrie scored two goals and had an assist, and goalie Semyon Varlamov made 27 saves for his second victory against the Blackhawks this season. It was Varlamov's fifth in a row against Chicago dating to last season.
Corey Crawford made 26 saves for the Blackhawks (35-19-5), who are 2-1-3 during a season high eight-game homestand.
The Avalanche (25-23-11), who evened the season series at two wins each, went ahead on back-to-back power-play goals. The Blackhawks were called for two interference penalties at 10:44 of the third, on defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson and forward Patrick Sharp.
Gabriel Landeskog made it 2-1 at 11:05 during the 5-on-3, and Barrie's second goal made it 3-1 at 11:29 with Sharp in the penalty box.
Defenseman Brad Stuart competed the scoring when Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford allowed the puck to get past him off Stuart's dump-in from center ice at 14:13.
Colorado weathered an early push and took a 1-0 lead at 12:52 of the first on Barrie's first of the game, a wrist shot through traffic.
Varlamov, who made 54 saves in Colorado's 2-0 victory here Jan. 6, was sharp. He just wasn't as busy, needing nine saves to get out of the first period without allowing a goal.
The Blackhawks, who've scored one first-period goal in the past 10 games, applied early pressure but put three shots on goal in the first 10 minutes.
The Avalanche didn't get their first shot until 8:09 but finished the period up 1-0 and ahead 10-9 in shots.
Chicago tied it 1-1 at 9:05 of the second period on Versteeg's 12th goal, third in the past four games.
-- by Brian Hedger for NHL.com --
Eurolanche.com, Worldwide, eurolanche@eurolanche.com
21/02/2015 - 05:38
