Wedgewood, Makar Lead Avalanche to Ninth Straight Win with 1-0 Shutout Over Blackhawks

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CHICAGO — The Colorado Avalanche continued their dominant season with a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night, extending their winning streak to nine games. Goaltender Scott Wedgewood made 22 saves for his first shutout of the season, helping the NHL-leading Avalanche improve to 16-1-5. Cale Makar scored the game’s lone goal late in the second period, giving Colorado a key victory on the road. Makar, who leads all NHL defensemen with nine goals and 29 points, connected on a rebound from the left circle after Tristen Nielsen, skating in his fourth NHL game, intercepted a clearing pass from Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight. This marked Nielsen’s first career point in the NHL. Wedgewood’s performance comes a night after teammate Mackenzie Blackwood posted a 35-save shutout in a 3-0 win over the Nashville Predators. The backup goaltender now leads the NHL with 13 wins and holds a league-best 2.23 goals-against average. The Blackhawks, coming off a six-game point streak, outshot the Avalanche 11-2 in the scoreless first period, pressuring Wedgewood early. Chicago continued to press in the third period, including a point-blank attempt by Frank Nazar with under a minute remaining, but Wedgewood and Colorado’s defense held firm.

With this win, the Avalanche have earned points in 13 straight games (11-0-2) since their lone regulation loss of the season on October 25 at Boston. The team’s current nine-game winning streak matches their longest run since March 4-24, 2024.

The Avalanche will host the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, while the Blackhawks will face the Minnesota Wild at home the same day.