The Colorado Avalanche got the kind of response they needed from Mackenzie Blackwood on Tuesday night, and it arrived just when the pressure was starting to build.
After a rough outing against Toronto, Blackwood steadied things in a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars, stopping 24 of 26 shots and giving Colorado exactly what it had been missing: a goaltender who could absorb the pressure when the game got messy. It was a strong answer from a player who had been drawing more attention for the wrong reasons.
That Toronto game had left a mark. In a 6-3 loss, Blackwood allowed five goals on 22 shots, including three goals on just four shots in the second period.
Afterward, Jared Bednar made his frustration clear: "He needs to give us a save. He needs to give us a save at some point there," Bednar said following the Toronto game.
The Avalanche coach had been confident in Blackwood before the season, which made that criticism stand out even more. With questions starting to swirl about whether Blackwood should remain the No. 1 starter, Tuesday became an important night for him.
He answered it well.
"He had a great night. Probably his best performance of the year,” Bednar said following the game.
Colorado needed him early. The Avalanche didn’t control the puck well at the start, and Dallas spent enough time pushing the pace to keep Blackwood busy before Colorado settled into the game. Tyler Seguin and Colin Blackwell were both turned away in the opening period, and Blackwood’s biggest moment came in the second after Sam Malinski’s turnover set up a quality look for Stars forward Sam Steel.
That kind of stop mattered because Colorado had already shown some defensive leaks, and Dallas kept coming. Blackwood was the one who kept those mistakes from turning into a bigger problem.
Martin Necas carried a big load offensively for Colorado, scoring twice in the second period as the Avalanche built a 3-1 lead. Dallas wasn’t done, though. Roope Hintz cut it to one early in the third, but Colorado held on from there, and the Stars managed only three shots in the final period even after pulling their goaltender.
One game doesn’t erase the larger questions around Blackwood, and there’s no reason to pretend otherwise. But it did buy him some breathing room, and maybe that’s the point. Colorado needs him to settle in, not just flash for a night.
The Avalanche also have another path if they need it. Scott Wedgewood showed what he can do last season, finishing 31-6-6 with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. Those numbers give Colorado another option, and one it clearly isn’t afraid to use.
That becomes relevant again Wednesday night at Ball Arena, where Colorado faces Dallas a second time in two days and Wedgewood gets the start. It’s a built-in chance for the Avalanche to compare both goalies against the same opponent under the same conditions.
Dallas will come in looking to answer after dropping a tight one on Tuesday. For Colorado, the setup gives the team another look at its goaltending picture - and another chance to see whether Blackwood’s strong night was the start of something bigger.
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 Got The Response They Needed In Heated Stars Win
MacKenzie Blackwood steadied the Avalanche in a needed 3-2 win over the Stars during the NHLs Frozen Frenzy, turning aside 24 shots and helping Colorado reset the tone after its previous loss. Martin Necas delivered the offense with two goals, including the power-play winner, as the Avalanche found a way to come out on top in a game that had plenty of bite for this early stretch of the schedule.
The physical edge was part of the story, too, with Nathan MacKinnon dropping the gloves in a fight and leaving with a bloody nose that needed attention during the game, though he is expected to be fine. Colorado and Dallas are right back at it in the next game of the home-and-home, giving the Avalanche a quick chance to show whether this win was just a response or the start of something steadier. [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 🡒]