McAmmond Lifts Blackhawks

Dean McAmmond began his second tenure with Chicago with more success than in his first go-around.

McAmmond, acquired a day earlier from Edmonton, scored a goal and added an assist to lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche.

He scored his 10th goal at 7:50 of the third period to give Chicago a 4-2 lead.

McAmmond played in five games with the Blackhawks in the 1991-92 season after being drafted in the first round.

"I was 18. I was pretty green," he said. "Six years in the NHL teaches you a lot -- a lot of discipline and a lot about the game itself, how to prepare and work both ends of the ice. It's a great way to start out with a win. I feel I helped out a little."

Milan Hejduk made it a one-goal game less than three minutes after McAmmond's goal by putting a Joe Sakic pass past Jocelyn Thibault for his 12th of the season.

Sakic had a chance to tie the game late in the third period. With just under 4 minutes left, his shot went off Thibault's chest, hit the post and was then gloved by a diving Thibault just as it appeared it was going to go into the net. The replay official Randy Krawiec ruled the puck had not crossed the goal line.

"I don't know. It might have been (in the net)," said Thibault. "It hit my glove and I turned around and it was out of the net. I didn't ask myself any questions. I just dove and put my glove on it. I never saw it in. If it did go in I didn't see it.

"It was bouncing on the ice a couple of inches out of the net. I just took it out and I never saw it in."

Colorado coach Bob Hartley said: "Maybe that's a sign that we didn't deserve the game. When you work hard consistently thoe lucky breaks will go your way. But on that replay it's real tight, but it's not conclusive.

The Avalanche opened the scoring on a power-play goal by Peter Forsberg. Theo Fleury was behind the net and passed to Forsberg, who came skating in on goal all alone from the right side and flipped the puck over the left shoulder of Thibault for his 23rd goal at 3:40 of the first period.

The Blackhawks tied the score at 1 when Alexei Zhamnov beat Colorado goalie Patrick Roy midway through the first for his 16th goal of the season.

Colorado took a 2-1 lead just 42 seconds into the second period on Fleury's 33rd of the season.

Dave Manson knotted it at 2-2 before Tony Amonte gave the Blackhawks a 3-2 advantage when his short-handed tally beat Roy.

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