RECAP: Blackhawks Drop Division Battle to Avalanche in OT, 4-3

The Blackhawks battled back from a third-period deficit agaisnt the Avalanche on Tuesday night, but fell in overtime to their division rivals, 4-3.
Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane and the Blackhawks power play sparked a Blackhawks third-period comeback on Tuesday night to pick up a point with DeBrincat striking off Kane feeds twice within a 40-second spanto turn a 2-1 hole into a 3-2 Chicago lead. Jonathan Toews scored his fourth of the season in the second period to get Chicago on the board.
Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves in his first game back since being removed from COVID-19 protocol.

POSTGAME LINKS
GAMECENTER: CHI vs. COL
ANALYSIS: Toews, Kane Lead Blackhawks Response in Comeback OT Loss
HIGHLIGHTS: Blackhawks vs. Avalanche
GALLERY: Blackhawks vs. Avalanche
BLACKHAWK OF THE GAME: DeBrincat struck twice on the power play in a 40-second span to tie the game and then pull ahead in the third, both off a setup from Kane.
STAT OF THE NIGHT: With his fourth tally in the last eight games, Toews is second on the team in goals (6 - DeBrincat) in that span.
UP NEXT: Chicago embarks on a three-game road trip beginning Thursday night against the Coyotes in Arizona.

GAME RECAP

CHI: 0, COL: 1

1st - 7:43 - Erik Johnson (Nazem Kadri)

The Avalanche took the game's opening lead early off a shot from distance as Erik Johnson put one home off the iron. The defenseman put a wrister from the point towards goal through traffic that found the elbow of the iron, deflecting straight into the back of the net for a 1-0 score.

CHI: 0, COL: 2

1st - 13:54 - Alex Newhook (Nicolas Aube-Kubel)

Colorado doubled their lead a few minutes later off a failed clearing attempt by the Blackhawks going up the ice. Nicolas Aube-Kubel lifted the stick of Caleb Jones and slid a pass back behind the play to Alex Newhoook, who walked in, cut to the slot and lifted a backhander over the shoulder of Marc-Andre Fleury for a 2-0 advantage.

CHI: 1, COL: 2

2nd - 4:47 - Jonathan Toews (MacKenzie Entwistle, Seth Jones)

Chicago got on the board early in the second off a scramble in front as Jonathan Toews netted his fourth of the year. The play started as Seth Jones put a shot towards net from the point that hit Gabriel Landeskog in front and deflected into the path of MacKenzie Entwistle in the slot. The winger corralled the bouncing puck by the corner of the crease and slid a puck towards goal that went between the legs of Darcy Kuemper and sat in the crease for Toews to knock home on the doorstep for a 2-1 game.

CHI: 2, COL: 2

3rd - 2:18 - Alex DeBrincat (Patrick Kane, Seth Jones) -- PP

The Blackhawks pulled level early in the third period on a 5-on-3 advantage as Alex DeBrincat netted his 19th of the year off a one-time feed from Patrick Kane. At the left point, Seth Jones found Kane cross-ice at the top of the circle with a pass, where the winger quickly sent it back across the width of the ice to DeBrincat at the faceoff dot for a blistering one-timer to tie the game, 2-2.

CHI: 3, COL 2

3rd - 2:58 - Alex DeBrincat (Patrick Kane, Dylan Strome) -- PP

Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane connected again just 40 seconds later, still on a power play, to give the Blackhawks their first lead of the night. Off a zone entry, Dylan Strome left a pass for Kane blazing into the zone behind him, where the winger drove the goal line before sending a pass back to a trailing DeBrincat for another one-timer that beat Darcy Kuemper from the slot for a 3-2 lead.

CHI: 3, COL: 3

3rd - 11:44 - Erik Johnson (Andre Burakovsky, Nazem Kadri)

Colorado puled even again off a broken play just past the midpoint of the third. Erik Johnson threw an off-balance shot from the boards towards goal, deflecting off the stick of Jake McCabe in front and past Marc-André Fleury for a 3-3 score.

CHI: 3, COL: 4

OT - 3:28 - Cale Makar

Colorado sealed the win in overtime as Cale Makar spun, walked off the boards and pulled forehand-to-backhand move before elevating a shot into the short-side top corner.