Avalanche Must Carry Winning Form Into Road Test Against Blackhawks

Colorado’s recent surge has answered one question: the Avalanche can score in bunches. Monday’s visit to Chicago asks a different one. Can they bring that sharpness onto the road, start with urgency and avoid turning a favorable matchup into a test of patience?

The Avalanche have won their last two games, beating the Calgary Flames and New Jersey Devils by identical 5-2 scores. Those results offer a boost as the schedule gets busy, but they don’t erase Colorado’s three consecutive road losses. The Blackhawks may sit last in the Central Division, yet the standings won’t make this trip easy if the visitors give Chicago time and space to build confidence.

Colorado’s first period could set the tone

The main concern is how the Avalanche begin. They’ve had slow starts earlier this season, and that habit would be especially costly in a game where they’re expected to control the pace. A sluggish opening can keep an opponent engaged, create pressure on the favored team and force it to spend the rest of the night trying to recover its preferred rhythm.

Colorado doesn’t need to chase a blowout. It does need to establish its game early, make Chicago defend and keep the Blackhawks from turning a few promising shifts into sustained momentum. That means treating the opening minutes with the same focus they’d bring against a stronger opponent. A low place in the division doesn’t tell the whole story about a young team’s ability to punish mistakes.

There’s a practical reason for the urgency, too. Monday’s game opens a back-to-back, with the Avalanche set to visit Columbus on Tuesday night. A comfortable, controlled performance in Chicago would leave less to recover from before the next stop. If Colorado spends the evening chasing the score or scrambling to find its structure, the workload could carry into the second game.

The schedule’s crowded start to November makes the details matter. The next few games will test whether the Avalanche can turn their recent offense into a steadier standard. Their busy opening to November leaves little room to rely on one strong result and assume the issue is settled.

Chicago’s young scorers can make Colorado pay

The Blackhawks have several young forwards who can make a loose game dangerous. Connor Bedard is the obvious threat, while Anton Frondell has produced three goals and five assists this season. Roman Kantserov has scored five times over his last 10 games. Those are the kinds of contributions that can change a matchup if Colorado leaves dangerous players room to operate.

Chicago’s challenge is generating enough offense against a Colorado team that has been far more productive. The Avalanche are averaging 4.19 goals per game this season, and Nathan MacKinnon has nine goals and 15 assists. Those figures give the visitors a clear offensive edge on paper. But a strong attack still needs the puck, and slow, careless shifts can hand that advantage back.

For the Avalanche, the defensive assignment is less about trying to erase every chance and more about limiting the conditions that allow Chicago’s skill to take over. Clean breakouts, pressure on the puck and fewer unforced turnovers would help keep the game on Colorado’s terms. If the Blackhawks have to work for their looks, the Avalanche can use their own scoring depth to put pressure on the home side.

Colorado’s power play has also begun to regain momentum, a promising sign after an uneven stretch. Special teams can tilt a close game, and a confident man advantage would give the Avalanche another route to control it. Still, the power play can’t be the whole plan. Colorado will need a solid five-on-five start so it isn’t counting on penalties to generate its first meaningful push.

A chance to make the road results look different

The two wins over Calgary and New Jersey provide evidence that Colorado’s attack is finding its touch. The road skid shows that the club hasn’t yet made that performance travel consistently. Monday’s matchup brings those two threads together: a chance to extend the winning run, put the recent road results behind them and prove that their best hockey can show up away from home.

A loss to the division’s last-place team would invite questions about the Avalanche’s inconsistency, particularly after the recent wins. But the more useful measure is how they handle the game’s demands: whether they dictate the pace, stay alert to Chicago’s young scorers and manage their energy ahead of Tuesday. A strong opening and a composed finish would matter beyond the standings. They’d give Colorado a more convincing answer to the question hanging over its road play.