After being outshot 11-2 in the first period, the Avalanche outshot the Blackhawks 19-1 in the second period.
“We needed that period after the first, (which) was not very good at all,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “I thought [Wedgewood] did a great job of keeping us in that game in the first period. And then we started to play the right way, a little bit more connected in three zones, much more competitive and harder in the battles, and it just led to better positioning and came up with more pucks in our touches. We started to spend more time in the offensive zone. We finally found a way to grind one into the net.”
Wedgewood preserved the one-goal lead by making a save on Frank Nazar from in tight with 43 seconds remaining.
“The guys found a way,” he said. “It didn’t look great in the first. I think they found their legs in the second. I had to do my job for a little bit there and give them some time. We come out with two points. Two big nights for my partner and I.”
Chicago forward Jason Dickinson returned to the lineup after missing 10 games with an upper-body injury.
“I felt better, for sure,” he said. “My legs took a little while to get back to where they should be. Reads were feeling pretty good, had a couple misses I’d like back, but that’s to be expected.
“We can be both happy with the process, not satisfied with the result. Would love for us to get the win, even scrape out a point. Divisional matchup like that, everything matters. It [stinks], but for the most part, that’s a lot of good clips that we can go back and watch and be proud of what we did because it didn’t feel like we gave up a whole lot, especially in the first and third.”
NOTES: Wedgewood extended his winning streak to eight games, tying Philipp Grubauer (2020-21) and Jocelyn Thibault (1994-95) for the fourth-longest in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history, behind Patrick Roy (11 games in 1998-99), Stephane Fiset (nine games in 1995-96) and Jonathan Bernier (nine games in 2017-18). … Dickinson had one shot on goal, one block and five hits in 16:23 of ice time. … Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic played in his 200th NHL game.
