In 18 road periods, the Colorado Avalanche have scored 20 goals and gone 5-0.
In six home periods, that same Avalanche team has scored a single goal and lost both games.
Those scoring struggles proved the difference in the game once again, as the Avalanche lost 3-1 to a Chicago Blackhawks team that was just that much better at Pepsi Center.
Colorado dominated play early, outshooting the Blackhawks 13-6, yet found themselves trailing 1-0 at the first intermission on an incredible shot by Hawks star forward Jonathan Toews at 16:02. Colorado tied the game at 15:27 in the second period when a Matt Duchene shot was deflected and bounced off Ryan O'Byrne and past Corey Crawford.
Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp fired a rocket midway through a tight third period that broke the tie, and Chicago would eventually add a shorthanded empty net goal at the end of the period to make the final score, 3-1.
Semyon Varlamov was brilliant in this game, making several highlight reel saves on his way to 27 saves and the first star for the evening. Unfortunately, Crawford was stout enough in net to hold the Avalanche offense to a single goal.
The two teams meet againat United Center in Chicago in two days, on the second half of a home-and-home.