Colorado’s surging offense and stronger season profile put Chicago under pressure at the United Center.
Colorado arrives at the United Center with 17 points and an 8-5-1 record, while Chicago has 9 points at 4-9-1; the Avalanche rank sixth in the power index, the Blackhawks 32nd. Colorado has won two straight and gone 3-2 in its last five, while Chicago has dropped two in a row and is 1-4 over that span. The central matchup is Nathan MacKinnon, who leads Colorado with 24 points (9 goals, 15 assists), against a Chicago attack led by Patrick Kane and Connor Bedard with 9 points apiece. Colorado averages 14.1 blocks per game to Chicago’s 11.2, but the Blackhawks’ best chance is to contain MacKinnon and turn their own chances into goals.