Alexander Kerfoot scored two goals, and Semyon Varlamov stopped 44 shots as the Colorado Avalanche strengthened their playoff position in the Western Conference with a 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday night at the United Center in Chicago.

Mikko Rantanen, Tyson Barrie and Erik Johnson added goals for Colorado, which maintained fourth place in the Central Division. It now has 88 points, just two behind Minnesota for third place, and 40 more than it had last season when it owned the worst record in the NHL.

Chicago started the scoring with a power-play goal from Brent Seabrook at 15:45 of the first period, his fifth of the year. Patrick Kane teed Seabrook up at the left point and his slapper beat Varlamov to the glove side.

Kerfoot brought Colorado even just 2:07 into the second period with the first of its two man-advantage markers. Kerfoot took a shot from the right circle that was stopped by Anton Forsberg, but the rebound trickled out to Kerfoot in the slot and he zipped a wrister over Forsberg's glove.

Rantanen broke the tie at 5:01 with his 26th goal on Nathan MacKinnon's 52nd assist. MacKinnon hung on to the puck in the left circle until Rantanen drove to the right circle and fed him. Rantanen's snapper deflected off Forsberg's glove and into the net.

Barrie capped the three-goal period with his 12th on the power play at 12:40, marking the 11th straight game in which he's scored a point. Barrie got a pass at the point from Rantanen and rifled a slapper into the upper right corner.

Varlamov made 19 saves in the third period to keep the Blackhawks at bay. Johnson and Kerfoot eventually iced the victory with goals in the game‘s last two minutes.

Johnson potted his eighth at 18:04, while Kerfoot bagged his 14th at 19:03.

Forsberg stopped 35 shots for Chicago, which is going to miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

--Field Level Media