DENVER — Collin Delia made 35 saves in his first NHL start of the season and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Friday night for their third straight victory.
Recalled Monday from Rockford of the AHL after Corey Crawford sustained a concussion, the 24-year-old Delia made his third career start. In his previous start, he surrendered five goals late last season in a loss to the Avalanche.
Alex DeBrincat and Artem Anisimov scored for Chicago.
J.T. Compher scored for Colorado, and Philipp Grubauer stopped 26 shots.
Colorado’s Colin Wilson left the game early when he fell over Andreas Martinsen and landed on his left shoulder. Wilson was helped off and didn’t return because of an upper-body injury.
Later in the first period, Blackhawks defenceman Samuel Girard crashed into the end boards after getting tangled with Jonathan Toews. He skated off the ice and went to the locker room.
Grubauer had 35 saves against Montreal on Wednesday and made some key saves in the second period to keep it tied. He stopped Anisimov on a great chance early in the period, then stopped a point-blank shot by Dylan Sikura after the puck bounced off the boards right to the centre.
The goalie gave up a rebound early in the third period and Chicago capitalized. Grubauer made the initial stop on Patrick Kane’s shot but it trickled through and Anisimov knocked it in at 1:19.
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Chicago struck first when Dominik Kahun came out of the box after serving a minor for too many men and got the puck from Connor Murphy in the neutral zone. He slid a pass across to DeBrincat, who’s shot went off Grubauer’s blocker and in at 8:07 of the first. It was his 16th of the season.
The Avalanche tied it when Alexander Kerfoot sent a backhand pass from the end boards to Compher crashing the net, and he flicked it past Delia at 2:58 of the second.
NOTES: Colorado D Nikita Zadorov was out with a lower-body injury and will miss Saturday night’s game at Arizona as well. The Avalanche recalled Anton Lindholm from the Colorado Eagles of the AHL.
UP NEXT:
Blackhawks: Chicago: Host Florida on Sunday.
Avalanche: At Arizona on Saturday night.
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Michael Kelly, The Associated Press
