Avalanche Clinch Playoff Berth, Blackhawks Fall 4-1

The Colorado Avalanche secured the first playoff berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, March 20, 2026, at the United Center. The Avalanche reached 100 points for the fifth consecutive season.

Avalanche Dominate Blackhawks

Martin Necas led the Avalanche with a goal and two assists, while Nathan MacKinnon contributed three assists. Valeri Nichushkin added a goal and an assist, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves. Colorado improved to 45-13-10 on the season.

Blackhawks Struggle, Kaiser Scores

Wyatt Kaiser scored the lone goal for the Blackhawks, and Arvid Soderblom stopped 45 shots. Chicago fell to 26-31-12 and remains eight points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.

Game Highlights

• Martin Necas opened the scoring for the Avalanche at 13:19 of the first period, extending his career-high point total to 84 (32 goals, 52 assists).
• Brock Nelson increased Colorado’s lead to 2-0 on a power play at 15:22 of the first period.
• Wyatt Kaiser scored for the Blackhawks at 6:48 of the second period, assisted by Ryan Greene.
• Nazem Kadri scored on the power play early in the third period, extending the Avalanche’s lead to 3-1.

Coach’s Comments

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar stated, “It’s a decent start, a good start. We’ll be happy about that. I mean, we like what we’re doing right now. Obviously there are ebbs and flows to the season, but to this point of the season we’ve put ourselves in a good spot here. We feel good about the way we’re playing. Making the playoffs is the first step to where you want to go, and we’re pretty happy about that, (getting) 100 points and still a lot of season left to play.”

Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill commented, “We didn’t have it tonight. I thought they (the Avalanche) came out and played really, really well. They snapped the puck around well. They were skating. We weren’t skating.”

Looking Ahead

The Avalanche will continue their pursuit of the top spot in the Central Division, currently leading the Dallas Stars by four points. The Blackhawks will aim to regain momentum as they fight for a playoff position.