DENVER (AP) - Wojtek Wolski's goal with 6:59 remaining broke a tie, and Andrew Raycroft stopped a career-high 43 shots for his sixth consecutive victory as the Colorado Avalanche beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 on Thursday night.
Ryan Smyth had a goal and assisted on the winner to help the Avalanche snap a two-game home losing streak.
Brian Campbell scored the lone goal for Chicago.
Raycroft sent a pass to Smyth at the Blackhawks' blue line, who skated in on Nikolai Khabibulin. The goalie stopped Smyth's shot, followed by a rebound chance from Milan Hejduk, only to have Wolski knock it in for his third goal in two games.
Khabibulin was incensed, throwing his stick to the ice behind the net.
Chicago pulled Khabibulin with 1:20 remaining, but couldn't get anything past Raycroft, who tied a career high by winning his sixth consecutive start. He's 8-1 this season.
Campbell tied it at 1 on a slap shot from the right point in the second period. The power-play goal was set up on a pass from Patrick Kane, back in the lineup after missing two games because of a right ankle sprain.
Raycroft kept the game tied with sensational saves on shots from Patrick Sharp and Troy Brouwer late in the second period.
Smyth's goal in the first period was initially waived off, the referee ruling that Smyth kicked at the puck with his right skate.
However, video replay showed no distinctive kicking motion, and the goal was awarded to Smyth, the 297th of his career.
Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville lost for the first time this season against his former team. He's 2-1 since he was jettisoned in the offseason after leading the Avalanche to a 131-92-23 mark and two postseason appearances.
Chicago is 21-7-6 since Quenneville replaced Denis Savard on Oct. 16.
Notes:
Raycroft’s previous high in saves was 40 set on Nov. 6, 2006 vs. Philadelphia ... Raycroft improved to 8-1-0 on the season, becoming just the second goaltender in franchise history to open a season by winning eight of his first nine decisions … Stephane Fiset began the 1994-95 campaign 10-1-0 for the Quebec Nordiques ... The Avalanche has hit the halfway point of the season with a 21-19-1 record through 41 games … This marks the 12th time in 13 seasons since arriving in Denver that the Avs have posted a winning record at the midpoint ... Tonight marked Colorado’s 24th one-goal game, tied with Carolina and Philadelphia for the most one- goal decisions in the NHL this season…The Avs are 16-7-1 in those 24 contests, the most one-goal wins of any team in the NHL.
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