RECAP: Blackhawks Fall Behind Early, Drop Opener to Avs

The Blackhawks fell in an early hole on Wendesday night and couldn't recover, falling 4-2 to the Colorado Avalanche in the season opener. Colorado scored thrice in the first 10 minutes of play, which proved to be the difference at Ball Arena in Denver.
Dominik Kubalik and Connor Murphy scored the pair of Blackhawk goals in the contest -- both from the point -- while Marc-Andre Fleury made 32 saves in his first game with the franchise.

POSTGAME LINKS
GAMECENTER: CHI at COL
ANALYSIS: Early Deficit, Transition Struggles Too Much vs. Avs
HIGHLIGHTS: Blackhawks Fall to Avs in Opener
GALLERY: Blackhawks at Avalanche
INSIDER: Borgstrom Proving He Belongs
STAT OF THE NIGHT: Six players (30% of the lineup) made their Blackhawks debuts on the night: Marc-Andre Fleury, Seth Jones, Jake McCabe, Henrik Borgstrom, Tyler Johnson and Jujhar Khaira.
BLACKHAWK OF THE GAME: Despite not finding the scoresheet on the night, Kirby Dach was the most dangerous offensive threat for Chicago with eight scoring chances, five shots on goal and the net-front screen on Dominik Kubalik's first-period tally.
UP NEXT: Chicago continues their season-opening trip on Friday night in New Jersey against the Devils at 6 p.m. CT (NBCSCH).

GAME RECAP

CHI: 0, COL: 1

1st - 4:26 - Jack Johnson (J.T. Compher)

The Avs struck first in transition as J.T. Compher dished a feed to Jack Johnson in the neutral zone as Jake McCabe and backchecker Tyler Johnson collided skates at their own blue line. In all alone, Johnson pulled the puck cross-body before shoveling a backhander over the sprawling blocker of Marc-Andre Fleury for a 1-0 advantage.

CHI: 0, COL: 2

1st - 5:48 - Gabriel Landeskog (Nazim Kadri, Erik Johnson)

Just over a minute later the home side doubled the lead as Erik Johnson's wrister from the point took a double deflection of blue sweaters en route to the goal, including off the skate of Gabriel Landeskog in front and past Marc-Andre Fleury for a 2-0 lead early.

CHI: 0, COL: 3

1st - 9:34 - Bowen Byram (Gabriel Landeskog)

Off another rush midway through the period, Gabriel Landeskog pulled up on the half wall, spun and found the late trailing Bowen Byram on the far side. The 2019 fourth-overall pick put a quick wrister from the faceoff dot over the shoulder of Marc-Andre Fleury for a 3-0 lead.

CHI: 1, COL: 3

1st - 16:47 - Dominik Kubalik (Ian Mitchell, Philipp Kurashev) -- PP

On the game's opening man advantage, the Blackhawks were able to answer off a blistering one-timer from Dominik Kubalik. Philipp Kurashev cycled the puck back to Ian Mitchell at the point, who quickly found Kubalik at the near-side point, where the winger put a hard shot off the crossbar and in through a Kirby Dach screen in front.

CHI: 1, COL: 4

2nd - 16:12 - Nazem Kadri (Bowen Byram, Mikko Rantanen)

Immediately following a Blackhawks chance at the offensive end of the ice, the Avalanche stormed the other way to regain a three-goal lead late in the second. Nazem Kadri brought the puck over the blue line and fed a late-trailing Bowen Bryam jumping into the rush. Byram lost the puck as he drove through the slot, but it fell right to Kadri at the side of the goal for a quick shot under the arm through a crash of traffic in front.

CHI: 2, COL: 4

3rd - 15:31 - Connor Murphy

Late in the third, Connor Murphy got the Blackhawks back on the board. The blueliner kept a clearing attempt in at the point, walked in from the point, faked a shot and then put a half-slapper off the post and in behind Darcy Kuemper for a 4-2 score.