MacKenzie Blackwood spent Tuesday night doing the dirty work Colorado’s defense left behind.
In the Avalanche’s 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center, Blackwood was the reason the night didn’t unravel. He came up with 24 saves and earned the game’s third star, repeatedly stepping in after Colorado gave the puck away in dangerous spots.
The biggest moment came in the second period, when Sam Malinski turned it over in a way that could have flipped the game. Blackwood bailed him out and kept Colorado in front.
That was the kind of stop Avalanche coach Jared Bednar had been talking about after Saturday night’s loss to the Maple Leafs, when his comments seemed to point the finger at his goalie. Blackwood answered with a sharp performance in the opening game of the NHL’s Frozen Frenzy event, helping Colorado leave Dallas with a much-needed win against a divisional opponent.
The Avalanche and Stars now move to Ball Arena on Wednesday night for the second half of their home-and-home.
Nathan MacKinnon also made his presence felt in more ways than one. He dropped the gloves again, this time against Roope Hintz, and the scrap left both players busted open.
MacKinnon came away with a bloody nose that needed significant work while he served the major penalty for fighting and again during the second intermission. He should be fine, but the mess on his face was another reminder that he keeps flirting with trouble when he decides to go that route.
The better part of MacKinnon’s night came on the scoresheet, where Martin Necas did most of the damage. Necas scored twice, including a highlight-reel finish off a MacKinnon setup that put Colorado ahead 2-1 early in the second period.
Later, he buried a power-play goal at the end of a 5-on-3 to stretch the lead to two. That one stood as the winner and gave Colorado a lift on a power play that badly needed something to build on.
Necas finished as the game’s first star, a fitting reward for the player who provided the goals Colorado needed to escape Dallas with two points.
In Other News...
Avalanche Catch A Break In Dallas But Face A Bigger Concern
The Avalanche walked into Dallas with a little extra room to breathe before puck drop, thanks to a Stars lineup that looks thinner than usual down the middle. Wyatt Johnston is unavailable because of an illness, and thats a notable absence for a team that has leaned on his reliability for a long stretch. Sam Steel has been bumped up to second center, and Dallas is even asking defenseman Kyle Capobianco to fill in as a forward, a sign the Stars are patching things together wherever they can.
Colorado still has its own issues to manage, though, and they are bigger than any short-term break in the matchup. The Avalanche are also missing Cale Makar for family reasons, and that leaves them operating with 17 skaters while trying to keep pace in a game that already has some shuffling on both benches. With injuries adding to the uncertainty for both sides, this one has turned into less of a clean matchup and more of a test of depth and adaptability. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Fast Start Suddenly Feels Fragile Against Dallas
Artturi Lehkonen gave Colorado the kind of start it wanted, scoring first in the opening period and briefly putting the Avalanche in control against Dallas. The pace was tense from there, with both goaltenders making key saves as the Stars pressed back and the game settled into the sort of early-season test that can turn on one mistake.
Dallas found that mistake before the period was over, tying things at 1-1 on a power play and taking some of the shine off Colorados opening push. Penalties and a late altercation only added to the unease, leaving the Avalanche with a good start that suddenly felt a lot less secure heading into the next stretch of the game. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Role Players Could Benefit From One Key Edge Vs Stars
Colorado heads into its matchup with Dallas with a familiar challenge and a possible opening for some of its depth scorers. The Avalanche have shown enough offensive punch to make every line a threat, and the discussion around this one centers on how their role players can take advantage of the right matchup in a game that could turn into a test of patience against a disciplined Stars group.
Dallas has leaned on a defense-first approach early, which makes special teams and usage all the more important for anyone looking at player props. Brent Burns and T.J. Hughes both fit into that conversation because of the ways theyre deployed and the chances they can create, and Colorado will be hoping that edge in opportunity can outweigh what has otherwise been a stingy Dallas setup. [Read more 🡒]