Colorado Avalanche vs Chicago Blackhawks Match Player Stats On Dec 19, 2023

Ryan Donato had a goal and an assist, Tyler Johnson and Lukas Reichel also scored and the host Chicago Blackhawks beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Connor Bedard and Nikita Zaitsev had two assists each and Petr Mrazek turned away 35 shots for the Blackhawks, who snapped a four-game losing streak.

Valeri Nichushkin scored twice, Nathan MacKinnon had an assist to extend his point streak to 16 games and Alexandar Georgiev made 19 saves for Colorado.

The Avalanche, who took their second loss in three games, were without defenseman Cale Makar (lower-body injury). Colorado forward Miles Wood received a misconduct penalty in the third period.

The game was tied when Wood went off for holding the stick at 7:58 of the third. Chicago cashed in when Nick Foligno fed Johnson as he skated down the right slot, and Johnson tipped in the game-winner at 8:19. It was his seventh goal of the season.

In the wake of the goal, Wood was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Georgiev later came off for an extra skater, but the Avalanche couldn't tie it.

The Blackhawks struck first when Bedard stole the puck from Colorado defenseman Bowen Byram inside the Avalanche zone. He sent a pass to Zaitsev, and Georgiev saved the initial shot, but Donato cleaned up the rebound for his fifth goal at 7:29 of the first.

Colorado answered less than two minutes later. With Foligno off for tripping, the Avalanche worked the puck around the Chicago zone down to Jonathan Drouin below the net. Drouin passed to Nichushkin in the slot, and Nichushkin put a soft wrister past Mrazek at 9:22.

Just 20 seconds later, Bedard went off for holding the stick, putting Colorado on the power play again. Mikko Rantanen had the puck along the right boards and fed Nichushkin in front of the crease, but Mrazek stopped his first shot attempt.

Nichushkin got his own rebound and slid a backhander by Mrazek at 11:25 for his 15th goal of the season.

The Blackhawks responded right away when Bedard got the puck as he entered the Avalanche zone, passed it to Reichel in the slot and he beat Georgiev over his right shoulder at 12:56. It was his third of the season.

--Field Level Media