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CHICAGO — Points are at a premium, as Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar likes to say lately, and his team seems to flourish with the pressure.
The Avs on Tuesday defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-1 at the United Center to give them 88 points, fifth most in the 15-team Western Conference. Before Colorado improved to 8-1-3 in its last 12 games, the Dallas Stars lost at Washington and the Los Angeles Kings fell in overtime at Winnipeg.
Coupled with those scores and the Avs' win, the NHL's worst team last season (48 points) significantly upped its chances to make the playoffs.