Recap: Colorado clinches playoff berth in 4-1 win over Chicago

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 20: Valeri Nichushkin #13 of the Colorado Avalanche controls the puck in the second period against the Chicago Blackhawks. (Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images After falling 2-1 to the Dallas Stars in a shootout at home on Wednesday, the Colorado Avalanche kicked off a four-game road trip against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Avs would get the better of the Blackhawks with a 4-1 win, and officially secured a playoff berth with that win as well.

Let’s take a look at all the action from tonight! First Period Colorado got the shot pressure going early and Martin Necas would get the party started (excuse the pun) in the first period with an insane goal from an impossible-looking angle, of a phenomenal feed from Val Nichushkin, who was driving towards the front of the net with the puck before finding Necas. Before the end of the first period Brock Nelson would make it 2-0 for Colorado on the power play, as Cale Makar was able to find him with a shot-pass from the top of the offensive zone, and Nelson was able to re-direct the puck past Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom.

Second Period Chicago got on the board as Wyatt Kaiser would make it 2-1, and that would be the only goal Chicago scored all game. The goal came off a defensive scramble from the Avalanche, and Kaiser was able to sneak the puck through the five-hole of Mackenzie Blackwood. Third Period The game was pretty much over by the final frame and Nazem Kadri would make it 3-1 Colorado with another power play goal, off an absolutely insane backhand, cross-ice pass from Nathan MacKinnon, and Kadri was able to put that puck into what was essentially an empty net.

Adding to the final score Val Nichushkin would score off a Blackhawks turnover that was caused by MacKinnon, making it a 4-1 Colorado final. Takeaways Tonight’s effort from the Avs was exactly what you wanted to see from them after the shootout loss to Dallas on Wednesday night. While Colorado still had a two-point lead on Dallas for the top spot in the Central Division heading into tonight, that was a little too close for comfort, to say the least.