Denver, CO - Colin Fraser notched two goals to help the Chicago Blackhawks to a 5-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche.
With the win, the Blackhawks move into a tie with San Jose for the top spot in the Western Conference. Both teams have 111 points, but the Blackhawks hold the tie-breaker as they have two more wins. Both teams have one game to play.
Jonathan Toews had a goal and an assist while Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg each had a goal for Chicago, which has won its past six games. Antti Niemi stopped 30 shots in the win.
Darcy Tucker notched a goal while Ryan Stoa scored his first career goal for the Avalanche, who have lost their past two and six of eight, overall. Peter Budaj gave up four goals on 36 shots in the loss.
The setback means that Colorado will sit in the eighth seed in the Western Conference when the playoffs start.
Chicago grabbed the lead 6:20 into the game on Fraser's fifth goal of the year. From the slot, Tomas Kopecky threw a shot on net that went wide and hit off the backboards. The puck came back out front where Fraser wristed it home.
The Blackhawks took a 2-0 lead with 9:05 to play in the first on Toews' 25th goal of the year, a power-play marker.
At the 7:21 mark of the second, Chicago took a 3-0 lead as Budaj misplayed the puck at the right side of his net, it popped into the air and landed at the left side where Sharp swept it home.
Colorado got on the board with 2:24 left in the second on Stoa's first NHL goal.
Colorado made it a one-goal game with 7:11 to play on Tucker's 10th goal of the season.
Chicago, though, got the goal back just 38 seconds later. Kopecky held the puck behind the right side of the net and sent it out front where Fraser flung it home.
The Blackhawks iced the game with 1:21 to play on Versteeg's empty-net goal.
Game Notes
Chicago, which finished the season 23-14-4 on the road, closes its regular season at home against Detroit on Sunday...Colorado hosts Los Angeles on Sunday to finish its regular season...Colorado's Paul Stastny notched an assist in the game for his 79th point on the season, a new career- high...Colorado lost center Matt Duchene in the first period to a torso injury and defenseman John-Michael Liles in the second with an unknown injury.
