Jared Bednar is comfortable going back and forth between Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood, and the Colorado Avalanche may need that flexibility again Monday in Game 4 against the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena.
The Avalanche lead the best-of-7 Western Conference Second Round series 2-1 after Blackwood stopped 12 of 13 shots in relief during Saturday’s 5-1 loss. Wedgewood, who had made seven straight starts before Game 3, was pulled early in the second period after giving up three goals on 12 shots. Bednar said he thought Blackwood was good and that the goaltender “did his job” on the play that led to Brock Faber’s goal at 13:31 of the second period.
That save percentage in relief mattered because Blackwood had not played since April 14, when he made 30 saves in a 3-1 win against the Calgary Flames. He said he understood what the job would look like after such a long break. “I mean, I played last year, so I kind of knew what to expect,” Blackwood said. “But coming into the middle of the game, they're kind of already jumping and humming and you're trying to pick up where they're at. So, I think we did a better job as the game went on, but maybe a couple bad bounces and we didn't have our best stuff tonight. But I think we'll bring it next game for sure.”
Colorado has had this choice all season. The Avalanche used Wedgewood 43 times and Blackwood 36 times in the regular season, and both were rewarded with the William M. Jennings Trophy after the team allowed a league-low 203 goals, including shootout-deciding goals. Wedgewood finished 31-6-6 with a 2.02 goals-against average, a.921 save percentage and four shutouts. Blackwood finished 23-10-2 with a 2.51 goals-against average, a.904 save percentage and three shutouts.
Bednar said the approach has not changed in the playoffs. “(They’re) both good pros, hard workers. They take the time when they’re not starting to sharpen up their game. They both want to help our team win, they’re both capable of helping our team win,” he said. He added that when one goalie is rolling, he will stay with him, but if the game starts to slip, the other is ready to step in. “Regardless of which guy it is, they seem to come in better and stronger after a break,” Bednar said.
That leaves Colorado with a choice that has been working rather than a crisis to solve. Wedgewood entered the discussion for Game 4 with a 6-1 record, a 2.45 goals-against average and a.911 save percentage. Blackwood, meanwhile, showed enough in Saturday’s relief appearance to keep the door open if Bednar wants to change course again. For the Avalanche, the bigger story is not which goalie starts Monday. It is that they have two of them, and both have already shown they can win this series.
