By ,
Published May 02, 2016
Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Semyon Varlamov more than earned his third shutout of the season as he made a career-high 54 saves to lift the Colorado Avalanche to a 2-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.
Varlamov's 54 saves are the most in Avalanche history and second most in a regular-season shutout since the 1982-83 season.
"I saw most of the shots. The guys didn't stay in front of me. They gave me a chance to see the puck the whole time," Varlamov said. "That was the key."
Nathan MacKinnon and Max Talbot each scored early in the game for the Avalanche, who bounced back from a 4-3 loss to Columbus on Sunday.
Corey Crawford allowed both goals on 24 shots in defeat.
Colorado needed just 53 seconds to open the scoring as the rebound of John Mitchell's shot went right to MacKinnon, who wristed it over the glove of Crawford from the right side of the net.
Just 24 seconds later, Talbot slipped in MacKinnon's pass off the rush for a 2-0 game.
Nearly nine minutes into the second, Jarome Iginla raced in on a breakaway, but Crawford came out to the top of his crease and denied him to keep it a two-goal game.
Chicago outshot Colorado 21-5 in the middle stanza, but was unable to solve Varlamov.
The Blackhawks continued to swarm the net in the third. Varlamov somehow stopped Bryan Bickell's deflection in front of the net 7:22 into the period.
After Crawford went to the net with under three minutes to play, Chicago had a goal waved off as the referee blew the play dead seconds before the puck trickled through the pads of Varlamov.
Andrew Shaw's point-blank attempt was stopped moments later and the Avalanche held on for the win.
"We just couldn't find a way to bury the puck," Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews said.
Game Notes
Varlamov posted his 16th career shutout ... Edmonton netminder Ben Scrivens made 59 stops in a shutout against Nashville on Jan. 29, 2014 and Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith also stopped 54 shots in a 2-0 win over Columbus on Apr. 3, 2012 ... Blackhawks forward Kris Versteeg underwent a successful procedure on Tuesday that stabilized a fracture in his left hand, which was sustained during the Winter Classic ... The season series resumes Feb. 20 at United Center.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/varlamov-stops-54-shots-as-avs-blank-blackhawks