Mackenzie Blackwood had no business being at his best Tuesday night, and yet there he was, carrying the Colorado Avalanche through a tough one in Toronto.
The Avalanche goaltender woke up sick with a fever and a cough, then decided chicken soup would have to do. He still made the trip to Scotiabank Arena and stopped 28 shots in Colorado’s 6-3 win over the Maple Leafs.
Blackwood said after the game that he’d woken up sick that morning. He chose to play anyway, and the result put him in some rare company.
Sports history is packed with stars who delivered big performances while battling illness, from Michael Jordan’s 38 points against Utah in the 1997 NBA Finals to Dirk Nowitzki’s flu-ridden effort in the 2011 NBA Finals, when he scored 21 points in a key Game 4 win. Gennadiy Golovkin also fought through the flu in his 2013 bout with Gabriel Rosado and stopped him in the seventh round.
Stephen Strasburg did something similar in the 2017 MLB playoffs, throwing seven scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts against the Chicago Cubs.
Blackwood wasn’t even the only Avalanche player to push through being under the weather this season. On November 29 at Ball Arena, Nathan MacKinnon dealt with illness and still produced a three-point night in Colorado’s 7-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens, scoring once and adding two assists.
Tuesday didn’t start cleanly for Blackwood or the Avalanche. Toronto scored early, forcing Colorado to dig in right away. Blackwood answered with a string of important saves, including a second-period denial of Auston Matthews on a rebound chance that stood out as one of the night’s biggest stops.
The Maple Leafs tied it 3-3 in the third period, but Colorado responded almost immediately and finished the job. Blackwood ended the night with 28 saves as the Avalanche answered Toronto’s earlier 6-3 win in Denver.
He’s now 8-1-1 in his last 10 starts, with a 2.20 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage.
If he keeps this going, Blackwood could force his way into the Vezina Trophy conversation. The award goes annually to the NHL’s top goaltender and is voted on by the general managers of all 32 teams.
In Other News...
Devon Toews Is Becoming A Bigger Avalanche Weapon Than Expected
Devon Toews has been one of the quieter reasons the Avalanche have stayed on track early this season, and his production has started to look a lot less quiet. He has 18 points in 19 games, and in the 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs he chipped in a goal and an assist while Colorado kept building momentum behind another strong night from Mackenzie Blackwood.
Jared Bednars decision to separate Toews and Cale Makar after Josh Mansons injury has given Toews a little more room to push offensively, and the results have shown up quickly. For a team that improved to 11-6-2 with the victory, the bigger question now is how much more of that added freedom the Avalanche can keep giving him as the schedule rolls on. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Need An Answer From Noah Juulsen In A Bigger Role
Josh Mansons injury has opened a door on the Avalanche blue line, and it puts Noah Juulsen in a spot he has been chasing for years. The former first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens has already lived through the hard parts of an NHL career, from injuries to team changes, but he arrives in Colorado with something he has not always had before: a two-year contract and a little stability.
Now the Avalanche need that stability to show up on the ice. With Manson expected to miss about eight weeks, Juulsen is being asked to handle a bigger role and give Colorado dependable defensive minutes while the lineup absorbs the loss. The opportunity is real, and so is the pressure, because the Avalanche are counting on him to turn a fresh chance into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Sent A Loud Message In Toronto Behind A Familiar Star
Gabriel Landeskog gave Colorado exactly the kind of night that travels well, scoring twice and putting the Avalanche in front for good in a 6-3 win over the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. The result pushed Colorado to 11-6-2 and showed a team getting offense from across the lineup, with Devon Toews, Cale Makar, Brock Nelson, Artturi Lehkonen and Martin Necas all factoring into the scoring surge.
For a club that has wanted more consistency early, this was the sort of statement win that can carry some weight. Toronto got goals from Darren Raddysh, Jack Roslovic and Easton Cowan, but the Avalanche kept answering and leaned on a familiar star to close the door, a reminder that when Landeskog is finishing chances and Colorado is rolling its depth, the ceiling looks a lot higher. [Read more 🡒]