NHL Game Summary - Chicago at Colorado
Denver, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - Jarome Iginla scored the winner with 32.9 seconds left as the Colorado Avalanche closed the season with a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Iginla finished the game with two goals while Cody McLeod also scored for the Avalanche (39-31-12), who closed the season with three straight wins but still finished last in the Central Division.
Semyon Varlamov stopped 28 shots in the win.
Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad lit the lamp for the Blackhawks (48-28-6), who lost four straight to end the season. Scott Darling posted 21 saves in the loss.
Chicago finished the season in third place in the Central Division and will open the playoffs on the road against Nashville.
"I didn't think we played too bad tonight, but our penalty killing has to get better," said Chicago defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. "It's good to have a few days off to straighten things out. It will be fun to have a different opponent in the first round. They have a good goaltender, and are strong defensively."
Colorado was awarded a power play with 2:01 to play after Marcus Kruger was called for tripping, and Iginla made them pay as he took a feed at the left point and skated down to the circle where he beat Darling with a wrister over the right pad for the win.
"It's a tough day because it's going to be difficult watching the playoffs," said Iginla. "It was great to have the power play when you're running out of time and get that goal. We're disappointed, but we wanted to finish the season with a lot of energy."
The Avs scored halfway through the first period when McLeod tipped in a Tyson Barrie shot for his seventh goal of the season.
Chicago tied the game at 8:03 of the second after Bryan Bickell skated down the slot and left a drop pass for Sharp, who used the defender as a screen before snapping a shot over the glove of Varlamov.
Colorado went back on top at 14:21 of the second thanks to a power-play goal as Iginla's one-timer from the top of the left circle went in.
The Blackhawks, though, tied the game with 4:40 to play in the third after Marian Hossa rushed down the left wing and passed the puck to the front of the net where Saad tapped it in.