(Sports Network) - The Chicago Blackhawks already own the longest point streak to begin a season in NHL history and have now won 10 games in a row for the first time in franchise annals.
They'll look to extend both runs on Wednesday night and pick up a point in a 30th straight game dating back to last season as they open a home-and-home series with the struggling Colorado Avalanche.
The Blackhawks have opened the 2013 campaign with a 20-0-3 mark and broke their previous record of nine straight wins in a row with Tuesday night's 5-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild. The 10th straight win overall bested the previous club mark set from Dec. 7-28, 2008.
Bryan Bickell scored twice during a four-goal first period and Patrick Kane added an insurance goal in the third period for the Blackhawks. Brandon Saad scored and had two assists for his first career three-point game and Marian Hossa also lit the lamp.
Corey Crawford made 20 saves to run his record to 11-0-3 this year.
Chicago hasn't lost since a 3-2 shootout setback to Anaheim on Feb. 12 and not in regulation since March 25 of last year. Its current 23-0-6 run surpassed the 1977-78 Montreal Canadiens for the second-longest point streak in NHL history, behind only the 35-game run posted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1979-80.
"It doesn't feel like we're on a streak," Bickell said. "We're just business, come to the rink and we're going to do what we need to do."
The Avalanche, who will host the Blackhawks on Friday, probably know all too well that they are on a six-game road losing streak (0-3-3). They dropped a 2-1 decision in Detroit on Tuesday night, falling to 2-7-3 on the road this season and 1-2-3 overall in their past six.
Paul Stastny pulled the Avs to within one of the Red Wings with 1:30 to play and Jean-Sebastien Giguere pulled for an extra attacker and Colorado had some good chances to tie the game before coming up empty.
"If you're going to win a game that you think you should have won you have to take it for what it is," said Stastny. "A loss is a loss at the end of the day."
Giguere, playing a couple of days following his mother's funeral in Montreal, finished with 31 saves.
Avs forward Milan Hejduk missed the game with a torso injury.
Colorado has won three straight and six of its past eight versus the Blackhawks, taking three of the past four played in Chicago. Wednesday marks the first of three meetings this season.
