Andy Cross / The Denver Post)
DENVER — Playing its seventh game without Gabe Landeskog and first without Mikko Rantanen, the Avalanche on Saturday managed to keep rolling toward the Stanley Cup playoffs without two of the team's three all-star forwards.
"We're bigger than two players," defenseman Erik Johnson said.
The Avs got another excellent performance from goalie Philipp Grubauer and redirection goals from forwards J.T. Compher and Sven Andrighetto to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 at the Pepsi Center to begin a consecutive-day home-and-home set with the Original Six franchise. Colorado upped its winning streak to four games and climbed to 80 points — a point ahead of both Minnesota and Arizona for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot; the Wild played Saturday night at Carolina.