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Mackenzie Blackwood started for the Colorado Avalanche in Game 4 against the Minnesota Wild after nearly a month off. Head coach Jared Bednar's gamble on Blackwood proved successful as he delivered a strong performance.
Matt Krohn-Imagn ImagesMatt Krohn-Imagn Images
Mackenzie Blackwood hadn’t started a game in nearly a month when he was handed the reins in a pivotal Game 4 against the Minnesota Wild on Monday. For stretches of his 18-month tenure with the Colorado Avalanche, he has been among the most dominant goalies in the league.
But his shaky play after the Olympic break is a large part of why Scott Wedgewood got the nod in the opening seven games of the postseason. Head coach Jared Bednar’s decision to go back to Blackwood was built largely on trust in his tandem, trust in Blackwood’s ability to bounce, and on his team to help support the goalie.
It paid off.
“He was great. I think he went in the net and did exactly what I was hoping he would do,” Bednar said. “Like I said before, he had some really strong practices in the last week, he’s had some time to prepare, he’s in-tune with what’s going on in the series, and done his homework. I thought that he went in and played a great game for us.”
Blackwood stopped 19-of-21 shots faced in Game 4 after getting 12 of 13 in his Game 3 relief appearance. It was clear after Game 3 that Bednar was contemplating the change. It’s likely he’s not thinking as much about it now. And that Blackwood is going to carry this performance into a potential series-ender at Ball Arena on Wednesday.
1. The Avalanche had a 20-4 shot advantage midway through the game. But I don’t want to let that take away from the performance the goalie had. He made several grade-A stops later in the game to keep the Avs either tied or ahead.
2. Jesper Wallstedt was also having a strong performance until the third period. The Avs were eventually going to get to him and they did. He didn’t see sneak away from Dameon Hunt for the wide open goal, but I credit Colton for that more than blame Wallstedt. The on the other hand, was the one I know he probably wishes he could have back. And that’s not to take anything away from Kelly’s shot, but a goalie that was as dialed in as he was probably doesn’t like letting in a one-timer from well beyond the slot.
Jared Bednar chose Mackenzie Blackwood for Game 4 due to his trust in Blackwood's ability to bounce back and the support from his team.
Mackenzie Blackwood had not started a game in nearly a month before his return in Game 4.
Blackwood's strong performance in Game 4 positively impacted the Avalanche's playoff chances, showcasing his potential as a dominant goalie.
Scott Wedgewood started in the earlier playoff games due to Blackwood's shaky play after the Olympic break.

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3. The best way to describe the butt-end call on Josh Manson is that he escaped with what could’ve been so much worse. Had the officials determined that the butt-end hit Michael McCarron, Manson would’ve been handed an automatic five-minute major and a game misconduct.
That means the Avs, already down Sam Malinski, would’ve had no Manson for more than two and a half periods. And when Minnesota scored the power-play goal, the major penalty would’ve continued and given them a chance to add to the lead.
4. McCarron had the quote everyone heard on ESPN. I tried to do some digging to see if they have any kind of history, but was unsuccessful. I’ll have another story on the back and forth between these guys soon.
5. Blackwood is up to a .912 save percentage in these two games he’s played in Minnesota (one start). Wedgewood has a .911 save percentage in his seven starts. It’s always cool to see how well these guys do, and how consistent their numbers are alongside each other most times.
6. Bednar did not have an update on Artturi Lehkonen or Malinski. Both of them took part in morning skate before missing Game 4 with upper-body injuries. I’d imagine we’ll get a better idea of where they’re at in the coming days, leading up to Game 5 at Ball Arena.
7. It says a lot about how Bednar feels about Nick Blankenburg that the team had Jack Ahcan fly in from Denver to play in this game. Ahcan didn’t travel with the team ahead of Game 3. He played just 7:07 in this game but had two hits. Devon Toews led the blueline at 28:25. Cale Makar wasn’t far behind, finishing with 26:09.
8. Even before his goal, I had jotted a note down in the second period about how well Colton was playing. He was aggressive on the forecheck, had a lot of speed and swagger, and looked like a guy that was hungry for the puck all night.
9. What makes the Kelly and Colton goals even more special is the ice time they finished with in this one. Colton played 8:39, and Kelly played 8:07. Those guys don’t get a lot of time to do their thing, but it felt like they were very noticeable every time they went out there.
10. How long has it been since the Avalanche have closed out a series at home? Eighteen years. They were the No. 6 seed in 2008 going up against these very same Minnesota Wild, who were the No. 3 seed. The Avs closed it out in Game 6 at what was then called Pepsi Center.
They’re highly motivated to get it done on Wednesday to avoid another trip back to Minnesota. Let’s see if they can do it.
The post 10 Takeaways: Bednar Gambled on Blackwood and It Paid Off appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.