Blackhawks 2, Avalanche 1
DENVER -- Center Artemi Panarin and right wing Richard Panik scored first-period goals, and the shorthanded Chicago Blackhawks beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Tuesday.
Goaltender Corey Crawford had 23 saves for Chicago, which played without center Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks captain had to sit out Tuesday's game because he skipped Sunday's All-Star Game in Nashville because of illness.
Goaltender Calvin Pickard had 41 saves and left wing Gabriel Landeskog scored for the Avalanche. Colorado (27-23-3) remained in the first wild card in the Western Conference because Minnesota and Nashville also lost.
The Blackhawks (34-16-4) survived a flurry by Colorado to start and end the third period. The Avalanche had eight shots through the first 40 minutes but doubled that with 16 shots in the third.
Pickard came off for an extra skater with 2:07 remaining. Landeskog had the best chance with a shot from the slot but Crawford made the save.
The Blackhawks came out flying and put 11 of the first 13 shots on net. Panik gave Chicago a 1-0 lead 2:57 into the game when he batted in a pass from center Andrew Shaw for his third goal of the season.
Chicago continued to carry the play early and held Colorado without a shot on its first power play. Two minutes after the Blackhawks killed off defenseman Brent Seabrook's tripping minor, Panarin scored when his shot went off Avalanche center Chris Wagner's stick at 7:16 of the first.
It was Panarin's 18th of the season.
Colorado cut the lead to 2-1 when Landeskog got the puck in the slot and beat Crawford high on the glove side at 9:59 of the first. It was his 14th of the season and third in two games.
The Blackhawks continued to dominate in the second period. They outshot Colorado 15-2 but couldn't get one past Pickard.
The two shots allowed were the fewest Chicago has allowed in a period this season.
NOTES: With C Jonathan Toews suspended for the game because he skipped Sunday's All-Star Game due to illness, Teuvo Teravainen centered Chicago's top line. He skated with LW Andrew Shaw and RW Marian Hossa. ... Colorado G Semyon Varlamov was scratched because he was dealing with his civil-suit trial filed against him by his ex-girlfriend. The suit stems from an altercation the two had in 2013. G Roman Will was recalled from San Antonio to serve as Calvin Pickard's backup. ... Blackhawks D Michal Rozsival was out of the lineup with a lower-body injury. ... Avalanche D Brad Stuart, out since Nov. 10, recently had surgery on his back and could miss the remainder of the season.