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CHICAGO — The Colorado Avalanche overcame an early two-goal deficit and scored five unanswered goals to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5–2 on Monday, November 2, 2026. Nazem Kadri and Jaden Schwartz each scored twice, while T.J. Hughes contributed two assists and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 21 shots. The official Colorado Avalanche recap, published November 3, confirms the scoring sequence and the details behind the comeback.
Chicago’s promising start unraveled quickly. The Blackhawks led 2–0 within the first eight minutes, but Colorado answered with two goals just 26 seconds apart late in the opening period. That sequence changed the entire game: the visitors reached intermission tied instead of facing a two-goal hole.
Avalanche–Blackhawks final score and key performances
| Stat | Result |
|---|---|
| Final | Colorado 5, Chicago 2 |
| Nazem Kadri | 2 goals, including power-play winner |
| Jaden Schwartz | 2 goals |
| T.J. Hughes | 2 assists |
| Mackenzie Blackwood | 21 saves on 23 shots |
| Colorado after game | 9–5–1, three straight victories |
Those totals show a collective answer rather than a single-player rescue. Colorado needed two forwards to finish chances, Hughes to create offense, a power-play goal to take the lead and a calm final period from Blackwood.
Chicago’s first eight minutes looked promising
Wyatt Kaiser put the Blackhawks ahead just 57 seconds after the opening faceoff when his shot deflected in. Roman Kantserov doubled the margin at 7:05 off a 2-on-1 move that involved Connor Bedard. A 2–0 lead at home presented Chicago with a chance to dictate the pace instead of constantly reacting.
Colorado briefly appeared to score through Martin Necas midway through the first, but the goal was erased after Chicago successfully challenged for goaltender interference. That could have been a further setback for the Avalanche. Instead, the visitors kept generating chances until the margin finally changed.
The 26-second comeback sequence
Kadri scored at 15:23 of the first period, recovering a puck near the goal line and poking it past Spencer Knight. Colorado needed a relatively straightforward second chance, not a dramatic long-range shot, to get back into the contest. The goal cut Chicago’s advantage in half and sharply shifted the pressure.
At 15:49, just 26 seconds later, Schwartz converted a feed from Hughes to tie it 2–2. Two goals in less than half a minute transformed the scoreboard and prevented Chicago from carrying a two-goal cushion into the next period. As a tactical matter, that stretch illustrated how quickly a team can lose control after failing to reset between defensive-zone possessions.
Kadri’s power-play tip provided the winner
Colorado moved ahead for good at 13:38 of the second period. Cale Makar sent the puck toward the net and Kadri redirected it for a 3–2 lead. The team recap identifies it as Kadri’s 100th career power-play goal, adding a milestone to the game’s pivotal finish.
The goal is also a reminder of how important net-front positioning becomes on special teams. A shot from distance may not beat the goaltender cleanly; a precise change of direction in traffic can. Colorado created exactly that kind of chance rather than relying only on a clean, uncontested look.
Schwartz, Hughes and Blackwood closed out the win
Schwartz added his second goal at 19:49 of the second after a Sam Malinski point shot deflected through Knight. Hughes registered the secondary assist, securing his first multi-point game in the NHL. The combination created a two-goal lead entering the final period, leaving Chicago with a much more difficult task than the one it had at the start.
Blackwood helped preserve that margin. He finished with 21 saves, and the Avalanche killed all four penalties they took, according to the team. Devon Toews eventually completed the scoreline with an empty-net goal at 17:38 of the third. The final 5–2 margin was the product of five consecutive Colorado goals after the initial 2–0 deficit.
Patrick Kane injury adds concern for Chicago
The loss came with another concern for the Blackhawks: forward Patrick Kane left during the second period and did not return. The official NHL game recap reported an upper-body injury, and Chicago coach Jeff Blashill indicated Kane was expected to miss the next couple of games. That is a provisional medical update, not a definitive return timetable.
Chicago’s larger problem was keeping its opening quality over three periods. Kaiser and Kantserov gave the Blackhawks enough offense to build a lead. The team could not protect it once Colorado found its forechecking rhythm and started winning decisive net-front opportunities.
The broader matchup trend strengthens Colorado’s result
The Avalanche’s comeback was not an isolated matchup success: according to the official NHL recap, Colorado had won six straight meetings against Chicago dating to March 10, 2025. Chicago fell to 4–10–1 after the loss, while Colorado improved to 9–5–1. The immediate difference in form helps place the five-goal response in perspective without assuming the next meeting will end the same way.
Cale Makar’s contribution also extended beyond the winning power-play deflection: his assist was the 384th of his NHL career, tying Anton Stastny for eighth in Avalanche franchise history. Chicago, meanwhile, must monitor both the injury that forced Patrick Kane out and Bowen Byram’s continuing absence. Those details offer more meaningful follow-up questions than a generic prediction based only on this final score.
What comes next
For Colorado, the win improved its record to 9–5–1 and marked a third consecutive victory. The Avalanche were scheduled to continue their road trip against Columbus on Tuesday. What travels from this performance is not the expectation of another five-goal run, but the confidence that a bad start does not require panicked decisions.
Chicago must address its consistency and monitor the condition of Kane, while the Avalanche have evidence of how their forwards, power play and goaltending can support one another. Visit SportsyVibe’s NHL & Hockey hub for more coverage, including our previous Avalanche–Penguins comeback report.
Sources and image credit
- Colorado Avalanche: official November 3 game recap.
- NHL.com: Avalanche–Blackhawks game chronology and injury context.
- Featured image: Nazem Kadri in an archival 2012 portrait, photo by Logan34can, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not from the November 2, 2026 game.
