• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Wolski's heroics lift Avalanche again

Jan 9, 2009 - 5:58 AM DENVER (Ticker) -- Wojtek Wolski has not had much trouble with his conversion to center.

Wolski scored the game-winning goal for the second straight contest and added an assist, lifting the Colorado Avalanche to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.

Ryan Smyth recorded a goal and an assist and Andrew Raycroft made a career-high 43 saves for the Avalanche, who have won back-to-back contests following a three-game losing streak.

All-Star defenseman Brian Campbell netted a power-play tally and Nikolai Khabibulin turned aside 30 shots for the Blackhawks, who had not lost to a team other than the Detroit Red Wings since November 29.

"You move on. Good teams don't lose two in a row, and that's something we have to strive to be," Campbell said. "These are the games that we find a way to win, when maybe we're not at our best. We've done it all season, and that's the frustrating part. We didn't find a way to get a point and carry it to overtime or score one late."

With injuries to top centers Paul Stastny and captain Joe Sakic, Wolski has moved from left wing, and the transition has been seamless.

After notching both goals in Tuesday's 2-1 triumph over the Nashville Predators, the 22-year-old snapped a 1-1 tie with 6:59 remaining in this one.

"I think whenever you're doing the little things like getting the pucks in deep, going to the net, you get opportunities and get your chances," Wolski said.

Following a hooking penalty on Chicago defenseman Matt Walker, Smyth was able to skate right into the crease with the puck, but Khabibulin made the save. All-Star Milan Hejduk's rebound attempt also was stopped, but Wolski converted the third chance for his 10th goal of the season.

"I feel pretty comfortable at center. I like having the puck and having the opportunities to skate up the ice with it and being able to move," Wolski said.

Raycroft did the rest, stopping all 19 shots he faced in the third period that included a flurry in the final minute after the Blackhawks pulled Khabibulin for an extra attacker.

"We got a big goal in the third and just played a real solid game like we did last game," Raycroft said. "When we play that well defensively, we are going to win a lot more than we lose. They had some chances they missed, and that was the difference."

"We weren't sharp around their net, and they played well around their net," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "The last two periods, we were doing everything right, but we missed the net with our best chances. They were off-target."

All-Star Patrick Kane, who missed the previous two games with an ankle injury, collected an assist on Campbell's goal, which tied the contest at 5:16 of the middle session.