The Chicago Blackhawks (26-30-12) return to the United Center for the back end of a back-to-back against the Colorado Avalanche (44-13-10) on Friday night. It’s the third and final meeting between the two teams in the 2025-26 season.
The Avalanche has claimed victory in each of the first two matchups, winning 1-0 in Chicago on Nov. 23 and 3-1 in Denver on Feb. 28. Just 20 days ago, Cale Makar scored twice, including the empty netter, while Gavin Brindley also found the back of the net in the two-goal win. Connor Bedard was responsible for the Blackhawks’ lone tally. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 14 of 15 shots faced in goal for Colorado.
Last time out, the Blackhawks earned their first regulation win over the Minnesota Wild since December 2019, winning 2-1 at Grand Casino Arena on Thursday. It was also Chicago’s first regulation win in that building since November 2017. Bedard and Ilya Mikheyev were the two goal scorers in the game, while Spencer Knight stopped 28 of 29 shots in net. The Blackhawks have now earned a point in seven of nine games to begin March.
Colorado is coming off a 2-1 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday and has dropped four of its last five games. Regardless, the Avalanche are still the top team in the NHL, with 98 points through 67 games this season. However, their lead in the Central Division has narrowed, with the second-place Stars only two points back.
Here’s everything else to note before the puck drops at 7:30 p.m. CT in Chicago.
Blackhawks Projected Lineup
Forward Lines
Ryan Greene — Connor Bedard – Andre Burakovsky
Tyler Bertuzzi — Frank Nazar — Teuvo Teravainen
Andrew Mangiapane — Ryan Donato — Ilya Mikheyev
Nick Lardis — Landon Slaggert
Defensive Pairings
Alex Vlasic-Artyom Levshunov
Wyatt Kaiser-Sam Rinzel
Matt Grzelcyk-Louis Crevier
Ethan Del Mastro
Scratched
F — Sam Lafferty, F — Dominic Toninato
Injured
F — Oliver Moore (lower body)
***
The Blackhawks recalled Dominic Toninato from the Rockford IceHogs on Friday morning. The team did not hold a morning skate, so the forward lines and defensive pairings listed above are from Thursday’s win over the Wild.
Avalanche Projected Lineup
Forward Lines
Valeri Nichushkin — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
Nazem Kadri — Brock Nelson — Nicolas Roy
Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Joel Kiviranta
Ivan Ivan — Gavin Brindley — Zakhar Bardakov
Defensive Pairings
Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Josh Manson — Brent Burns
Brett Kulak — Sam Malinski
Scratched
F — Nick Blankenburg
Injured
F — Ross Colton (upper body), F — Gabriel Landeskog (lower body), F — Artturi Lehkonen (upper body), F — Logan O’Connor (hip surgery)
Projected Goaltending Matchup
Arvid Soderblom (6-10-3, 3.70 GAA, .876 Sv%, 1 SO) vs. Mackenzie Blackwood (18-8-1, 2.48 GAA, .904 Sv%, 3 SO)
Soderblom is expected to make his 20th start of the season for the Blackhawks. The 26-year-old allowed four goals on 31 shots faced to record the overtime loss in his most recent start on Mar. 8 against the Dallas Stars. Soderblom has yet to face Colorado in his NHL career.
Blackwood will make his 28th start of the season for the Avalanche. The 29-year-old allowed two goals on 17 shots faced to earn the loss in his most recent start last Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets. Blackwood is 5-0-2 with a 1.96 GAA and .922 Sv% in seven career starts against Chicago.
2025-26 Results vs. Avalanche
Chicago has taken points in four of their last six games against Colorado at the United Center (3-2-1). The Blackhawks have also earned points in seven of their last nine games since March 1 (4-2-3).
11/23/25 — 1-0 L, United Center
02/28/26 — 3-1 L, Ball Arena
03/20/26 — United Center
2025-26 Team Stats & Leaders
Chicago Blackhawks:
Goals — Connor Bedard & Tyler Bertuzzi (28)
Assists — Connor Bedard (37)
Points — Connor Bedard (65)
GF/GP — 2.60 (29th)
GA/GP — 3.13 (22nd)
PP% — 18.9% (21st)
PK% — 84.7% (1st)
FOW% — 46.6% (31st)
Colorado Avalanche:
Goals — Nathan MacKinnon (45)
Assists — Nathan MacKinnon (66)
Points — Nathan MacKinnon (111)
GF/GP — 3.69 (1st)
GA/GP — 2.48 (1st)
PP% — 16.1% (29th)
PK% — 82.6% (6th)
FOW% — 51.3% (8th)
How To Watch, Listen, & Game Info
Colorado Avalanche (44-13-10, 98 points) @ Chicago Blackhawks (26-30-12, 64 points)
7:30 p.m. CT — United Center
Head Coaches: Jared Bednar (COL), Jeff Blashill (CHI)
TV/Stream: CHSN (Ball/Pang), ALT, KTVD
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Wiedeman/Konroyd)
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