Makar scores 2 goals as NHL-leading Avalanche beat Blackhawks 3-1

Updated Mar. 1, 2026 12:00 a.m. ET

Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — Cale Makar scored two goals, Gavin Brindley had the go-ahead score early in the third period and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 on Saturday night.

Mackenzie Blackwood made 14 saves for Colorado, which killed off two penalties early in the third period to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Minnesota on Thursday night.

Colorado has an NHL-best 87 points and leads Dallas in the Western Conference by six points and Minnesota by seven. The Stars have played one more game than the Avalanche and the Wild have played two more.

Connor Bedard scored for Chicago, which has lost eight of nine and continues to struggle to score. The Blackhawks have just 12 goals in their eight losses.

Spencer Knight made 32 saves for Chicago, which had just nine shots through the first two periods.

Despite that, the game was tied entering the third and the Blackhawks went on the power play early in the period. They had a couple of good scoring chances, including a slap shot by Bedard that a sprawled-out Blackwood snared with his glove.

After killing the penalty, Brindley scooped up a rebound near the crease and beat a prone Knight with a wrister into the top of the net. Knight came off for an extra skater with 2:05 remaining and Makar scored his 17th of the season into the empty net at 18:33.

Chicago nearly scored 35 seconds after the opening faceoff before Bedard made it 1-0 with a power-play goal at 6:31 of the first.

The Blackhawks’ offense then went dormant, failing to put a shot on goal for nearly 20 minutes and not recording one in the second period for the first 8:39.

Knight kept it a 1-0 game until Makar's goal at 19:51 of the second period tied it.