MacKinnon, Makar shut down, ice-cold power play, and more: 3 reasons why Colorado Avalanche lost 3-1 against Chicago Blackhawks

The Colorado Avalanche dropped a 3-1 decision against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night at the United Center. The upset left fans wondering how a Stanley Cup contender lost to a team poised for another lottery pick this season.

Juuso Parssinen opened the scoring for the Colorado Avalanche at 6:14 of the first period. However, that was the only offense Colorado could muster. Ilya Mikheyev, Frank Nazar, and Connor Bedard scored for the Blackhawks.

So, here’s a look at the three key reasons why the Colorado Avalanche lost to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.

3 reasons why Colorado Avalanche lost to Chicago Blackhawks

#3 The Avalanche power play went cold

The Colorado Avalanche’s high-octane power play went cold on Wednesday. The Avs went 0-for-2, failing to score with the man advantage.

The Avs entered the game with the 12th-best power play in the league at 76.9%. However, the Avs ran into a Blackhawks penalty kill that’s ranked fifth in the league at 83.6%.

The lack of scoring with the man advantage doomed the Avalanche as a power play tally could have made the difference between losing the game, and at least getting a point out of it.

#2 The Avalanche couldn’t solve Mrazek

The Avalanche ran into a hot goalie in Petr Mrazek. The Blackhawks netminder made 35 saves on the night to keep his team in the game. The Avs had the edge in shots all night, getting a 10-5 advantage in the third period.

However, Mrazek stood tall and sent the Avs packing with the loss. It’s worth pointing out that the Blackhawks did a relatively good job of handling rebounds and keeping the front of the net clear.

But it was Mrazek who made the difference for the Blackhawks on Wednesday night.

#1 MacKinnon, Makar shut down

Despite their best efforts, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar could not get on the scoresheet. The duo played the final four minutes or so in the game after Bedard’s goal at 11:54 made the game 3-1.

Nevertheless, neither Colorado Avalanche star was able to find the back of the net. It’s worth pointing out that MacKinnon did his best to singlehandedly tie the game for Colorado.

During a sequence in the third, MacKinnon broke into the Chicago zone on a 1-on-3 rush, splitting the defense, and narrowly missing the far slide of the net after slipping the puck past Mrazek.

It would have been a highlight-reel goal but failed to go into the net. The Blackhawks held on for the win, avenging a 5-2 loss from earlier this season.

The Avalanche will have little time to lick their wounds as they take on the Minnesota Wild on Thursday at the Xcel Energy Center.