There was eventually going to be a time when Mackenzie Blackwood would need to step up and play every night. The injury to Scott Wedgewood made Blackwood the Avalanche’s only option. And Blackwood has responded in a big way.
On Sunday, Blackwood was the difference in a one-sided third period to help the Avs secure a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Blackwood stopped all 14 shots he faced in the third, which included a penalty shot from the NHL’s best shootout performer, Trevor Zegras.
That’s two consecutive wins for Blackwood and the Avs, both by similar scores, after suffering only their second regulation loss of the season on Long Island on Thursday.
Colorado is 21-2-6 and closes out its four-game road trip Tuesday evening in Nashville.
The scoring started early in the game. Just 2:09 in, Sean Couturier deflected a point shot that was going wide to beat Blackwood. Philly carried that lead for just over six minutes before Brent Burns tied it up with Valeri Nichushkin parked in front to take away Samuel Ersson’s view of the puck.
The Avs dominated the rest of the first period. They eventually drew a penalty, and Brock Nelson tallied a much-needed PP goal with less than a minute remaining to put the Avs up by one.
In the second, Nichushkin quickly doubled the lead to make it 3-1, scoring his sixth of the season at 1:47. The Flyers responded with a break from Travis Konecny at 5:58. And that was all the scoring we’d have in this one.
Blackwood faced just 12 shots in the first two periods before the onslaught in the third. Colorado was outshot 14-3 in that final frame, which was the third period of the second half of a back to back.
The biggest save, the one on Zegras, came just 4:54 into the third. Zegras came in slowly before making a move. Blackwood didn’t bite, and Zegras’ shot was saved with ease.
Positive: Power Play Crashes the Net
There was a lot of good to choose from in this game, but the power play finding the back of the net on the road was arguably the most crucial difference.
It wasn’t just that they scored, but it was how they did it. Nelson’s tally came from inside the blue paint when he and Nathan MacKinnon both crashed the crease after Cale Makar’s point shot hit the end board and trickled in front.
They need more of that. More of throwing the puck on goal and more of fighting for loose pucks. They often overpass, get too cute, and try to find the perfect play. They have the skill to do that, but teams have adjusted to it and expect it.
Negative: Turnovers
I do want to preface this by saying that the third game in four days, the second of a back-to-back, and an early puck drop with the same goalie starting all three games means the Avalanche had every reason to bend and break on Sunday.
They pulled through. They got the two points, and they did it in regulation. That said, turnovers are becoming more common. For a team that’s played as responsibly at both ends of the ice since opening night, it’s not something you want to see. Maybe it’s a blip in the road, and it’s great to see them still win these games. But Blackwood saved them in Philadelphia, and he made the big saves when the team made a mistake in front of him.
For example, on Zegras’ breakaway, the Avs had five guys collapse below the hashmarks, which sprung Zegras on a breakaway. That in itself was a problem, and then MacKinnon hooking him the entire way up the ice is what set up the penalty shot.
