Scott Wedgewood was pulled early in the second period of Colorado’s 5-1 loss to Minnesota on Saturday after allowing three goals on 12 shots, and the Avalanche may turn again to Mackenzie Blackwood for Game 4 on Monday night. Colorado leads the best-of-7 series 2-1, with puck drop set for 8 p.m. ET at Grand Casino Arena.
Jared Bednar said he is comfortable switching back and forth between Wedgewood and Blackwood, a flexibility the Avalanche have leaned on all season. Wedgewood had started seven straight games before Game 3, while Blackwood came in cold and stopped 12 of 13 shots in relief after not playing since April 14, when he made 30 saves in a 3-1 win against the Calgary Flames.
The numbers explain why Bednar is willing to keep adjusting. Wedgewood has gone 6-1 in the postseason with a 2.45 goals-against average and a.911 save percentage, while Blackwood was sharp enough in relief Saturday to keep the game from getting worse. During the regular season, Wedgewood made 43 starts and Blackwood made 36, and together they helped Colorado allow a league-low 203 goals, including those decided in a shootout.
Wedgewood’s season was strong by any standard. He finished the regular season 31-6-6 with a 2.02 GAA, a.921 save percentage and four shutouts. Blackwood went 23-10-2 with a 2.51 GAA, a.904 save percentage and three shutouts. The two combined to win the William M. Jennings Trophy, underscoring how much of Colorado’s edge has come from keeping the puck out of its own net.
Bednar praised both goalies after Game 3, saying they are both good pros and hard workers who stay sharp when they are not starting. He said he thought Blackwood was good, then pointed to one unlucky sequence on the lone goal he allowed in relief, saying it was a tough break and that Blackwood had given the club a chance. Blackwood, for his part, said he knew what to expect from playoff hockey, but that entering in the middle of a game is different because the pace is already humming and a goalie has to pick up where the action is. He said the group settled in as the game went on and believed it would bring its best next time out.
The tension in Colorado is not whether Bednar trusts both goaltenders. It is how quickly he will have to decide again if Monday’s game tilts early, and whether Wedgewood or Blackwood gives the Avalanche the steadier answer with a trip deeper into the postseason on the line.
