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Monday, Mar. 27 9:30pm ET
Sakic extends point streak to 13 games

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DENVER (AP) -- Milan Hejduk has had some magical moments in only his second season in the NHL. For the second straight night, his magic touch provided the winning score as the Colorado Avalanche topped the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1.

One day after beating the Dallas Stars with an overtime goal, Hejduk got his 33rd goal of the year with 2:30 left in Monday night's game.


	Colorado's Milan Hejduk is unable to reach the puck, thanks to Bryan McCabe's stickwork.

"Milan has those magical hands with the quick release that gives goaltenders trouble," Colorado coach Bob Hartley said. "He has magic in his stick lately and everything he touches turns to magic."

Hejduk had help from Joe Sakic, who extended his career-best point streak to 13 games with a pair of assists. Sakic now has 16 goals and nine assists in his last 13 games.

"I think so far this year I'm playing more offensive than I played last year," said Hejduk, who has four goals in his last five games. "I'm playing with more confidence, for sure. When you start to play better, you feel better."

Ray Bourque added his sixth goal since being acquired in a March 6 trade with the Boston Bruins. Dave Reid had an empty-net goal as the Avalanche maintained a four-point lead in the Northwest Division over Edmonton, a 2-1 winner at San Jose.

Steve Sullivan scored Chicago's lone goal. Steve Passmore stopped 30 of 32 shots for the Blackhawks, 5-2-2 in their last nine games.

"I thought Passmore was outstanding," Chicago coach Lorne Molleken said. "He weathered the storm early, especially when Colorado had the two early power plays."

Colorado outshot the Blackhawks 14-3 in the first period but failed to get anything past Passmore. The Avalanche also didn't convert two early power-play chances.

Passmore caught a break midway through the period when Colorado's Martin Skoula hit the crossbar from the slot, but made an acrobatic sliding save to deny Hejduk's backhanded attempt off the rebound from close range. Patrick Roy faced little pressure from Chicago.

Colorado led 1-0 after two periods, but the Blackhawks kept the puck in the Avalanche zone in the first three minutes of the period. Roy turned aside scoring chances by Dean McAmmond and Jean-Yves Leroux.

Bourque broke the scoreless duel at 4:28 of the period with his 16th goal of the year. Sakic skated down the puck along the boards and sent a cross ice pass to Bourque, who beat Passmore over his left shoulder with a slap shot from the right circle.

"I wasn't sure if it went in. I knew where I was going with it, but I didn't see it drop or really go in," Bourque said. "The nets are so tight here that the puck goes in and out so quickly that sometimes you don't know if you score or not."

Sullivan tied the game at 1-1 at 6:14 of the third period on a great individual effort. Roy turned aside Sullivan's shot from the lower right circle, but Sullivan skated down the puck behind the net and, using Skoula as a screen, put a wraparound under Roy's stick.

Colorado had a goal by Adam Deadmarsh disallowed at 11:35 when Drury made contact with Passmore in the crease. Hejduk's game-winner came at 17:30 on a blast from the slot after receiving Sakic's pass from behind the net.

Reid's empty net goal came at 19:41.

"It's a big win for us, said Roy who had 16 saves in earning his 441st career win. "I think we play with consistency every night, but tonight I thought today we really dominated the game."

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Buffalo 5
Carolina 1

Detroit 6
NY Rangers 0

Colorado 3
Chicago 1

Edmonton 2
San Jose 1