DENVER — Alexandar Georgiev made 27 saves and Denis Malgin had two goals and an assist, helping the surging
Colorado Avalanche beat the
Chicago Blackhawks 5-0 on Monday night. Mikko Rantanen got his 47th goal and an assist as the Avs posted their sixth consecutive win. Logan O’Connor and Kurtis MacDermid also scored. Advertisement Georgiev’s fifth shutout of the season and No. 13 for his career lifted Colorado (41-22-6) into a tie with the idle Minnesota Wild for second place in the Central Division with 88 points, one behind the Dallas Stars. The Avalanche have played one fewer game than the Wild and Stars. “We’ve been in this position before where we’ve tracked down the teams in front of us, got real close and then didn’t handle it properly,” coach Jared Bednar said. “Had a little dip in our game. We’re trying to learn from that.” Advertisement Alex Stalock stopped 27 shots for the Hawks, who have dropped two straight. “I thought he was good,” coach Luke Richardson said of Stalock. “In the first period he made that big save on (Nathan) MacKinnon to keep it at 1-0.” [ [Don't miss] Buddy Robinson and Mike Hardman are 7 years apart — but in the same boat with the Chicago Blackhawks: ‘It’s nice to just pick his brain’ ] Colorado star Cale Makar was scratched and is considered day to day with an undisclosed injury. His absence meant the Avs played without three of their top six defensemen. Josh Manson (lower body) has missed three weeks, and Erik Johnson (broken ankle) hasn’t played since Feb. 11. MacDermid replaced Makar in the lineup and took advantage when his goal at 2:45 of the first period ricocheted off the knee of Hawks defenseman Ian Mitchell and past Stalock. Malgin made it 2-0 at 6:17 of the second, and Rantanen’s power-play goal midway through the period gave Colorado a three-goal lead. “The first two periods we actually had some good chances,” Hawks defenseman Caleb Jones said. “They obviously had a couple there and got one on the power play, but they’re a good team and keep coming at you.” Chicago Tribune Sports Weekdays A daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy . > O’Connor and Malgin scored 14 seconds apart late in the third to blow it open. It was Malgin’s 10th of the season. “We’re in a good stretch,” Malgin said. “I hope we can keep it going and keep getting better and better.” Advertisement [ [Don't miss] How Taylor Raddysh sparked his scoring — including a hat trick — by focusing on his all-around game for Chicago Blackhawks ] Georgiev needed just five saves in the third period to earn the shutout. He has allowed just two goals in his last three games, including a shootout win in
Toronto on Wednesday night. “The team is playing great right now and you try to appreciate when things are working out for you,” he said. Man down Colorado winger Evan Rodrigues didn’t play in the third period after getting checked along the boards by Hawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi. Bednar said his injury was to his upper body but it wasn’t being classified as a concussion “at this time.” Up next Blackhawks: Visit the
Washington Capitals on Thursday night. Avalanche: Host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night.