Recap
Avalanche 4, Blackhawks 3
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) - Tomas Fleischmann scored three times, including back-to-back power-play goals in the third period, to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.

Colorado stretched its winning streak to four and gave the Blackhawks their ninth regulation loss at home. Chicago had only eight last season before winning the Stanley Cup.

Greg Mauldin gave Colorado a 1-0 lead in the first period. Brian Bickell tied it in the second and Jonathan Toews and Troy Brouwer added goals in the third for Chicago.

Fleischmann, traded to Colorado from Washington last month, scored his first two goals late in each portion of a four-minute, high-sticking penalty against Jordan Hendry. The first goal, from the left doorstep, beat sprawled goalie Corey Crawford and broke a 1-1 tie.

Fleischmann scored again 1:54 later, putting in a rebound of Matt Duchene's shot to give the Avalanche a two-goal lead.

Fleischmann completed his first career hat trick with 5:18 remaining, beating Crawford from the slot. His ninth goal of the season answered a goal by Toews five minutes earlier.

Brouwer finished the scoring with just over one second left in the game.

Colorado opened the scoring on Mauldin's goal with just over six minutes left in the first period. He raced down the left side into the slot and put Daniel Winnik's pass by Crawford.

The lead held up only until 1:14 of the second, when Bickell skated around a pair of Avalanche players and beat Craig Anderson over the glove hand with a hard wrist shot.

In contrast to Monday's game in Denver, which Colorado won 7-5, the rematch was a more close-checking game until Fleischmann broke out. The Blackhawks held Colorado to 12 shots in the first two periods and 23 overall.

Injury-riddled Chicago lost forward Viktor Stalberg with seven minutes left in the second period when he sustained an undisclosed upper-body injury when he was checked into the boards by Colorado's Ryan O'Byrne.

NOTES: Colorado's Milan Hejduk missed his third straight game (groin)...Peter Mueller (head), T.J. Galiardi (broken wrist), Kyle Cumiskey (head), Kyle Quincey (shoulder) and Chris Stewart (hand) were also sidelined...Chicago forward Patrick Kane practiced Wednesday and said he might play Friday against Detroit...He sprained his left ankle on Dec. 7, and was expected to be out for up to three weeks, but has missed only four games...There's no return date for winger Marian Hossa (lower body), out for seven games, or for forward Fernando Pisani (upper body)...The Blackhawks are 8-9 at home this season after going 29-8-4 there last season.


Three star selections
1st:   TOMAS FLEISCHMANN
2nd:   CRAIG ANDERSON
3rd:   BRYAN BICKELL
Winning Goaltender
Craig Anderson

Losing Goaltender
Corey Crawford

SCHEDULE

HOME
AWAY
PROMOTIONAL

STANDINGS

WESTERN CONFERENCE
  TEAM GP W L OT GF GA PTS
1 p - CHI 48 36 7 5 155 102 77
2 y - ANA 48 30 12 6 140 118 66
3 y - VAN 48 26 15 7 127 121 59
4 x - STL 48 29 17 2 129 115 60
5 x - LAK 48 27 16 5 133 118 59
6 x - SJS 48 25 16 7 124 116 57
7 x - DET 48 24 16 8 124 115 56
8 x - MIN 48 26 19 3 122 127 55
9 CBJ 48 24 17 7 120 119 55
10 PHX 48 21 18 9 125 131 51
11 DAL 48 22 22 4 130 142 48
12 EDM 48 19 22 7 125 134 45
13 CGY 48 19 25 4 128 160 42
14 NSH 48 16 23 9 111 139 41
15 COL 48 16 25 7 116 152 39

STATS

2012-2013 REGULAR SEASON
SKATERS: GP G A +/- Pts
P. Parenteau 48 18 25 -11 43
M. Duchene 47 17 26 -12 43
P. Stastny 40 9 15 -7 24
J. McGinn 47 11 11 -13 22
J. Mitchell 47 10 10 5 20
R. O'Reilly 29 6 14 -3 20
G. Landeskog 36 9 8 -4 17
T. Barrie 32 2 11 -11 13
C. McLeod 48 8 4 4 12
M. Hejduk 29 4 7 -7 11
 
GOALIES: W L OT Sv% GAA
J. Giguere 5 4 4 .908 2.84
S. Varlamov 11 21 3 .903 3.02
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