- Bednar pulled Wedgewood in Game 3 after three goals on 12 shots
- Blackwood stopped 12 of 13 in relief in his first action since April 14
- Read below for the full breakdown of Colorado’s Game 4 goalie call
The Avalanche might have a goaltending change coming for Game 4 against the Wild.
After pulling Scott Wedgewood in the second period of Saturday’s 5-1 loss in St. Paul, Avs coach Jared Bednar wouldn’t commit to his starter for Monday.
“We’ll have a decision to make, but there’s a decision to make every night,” Bednar told reporters after Game 3. “Some are easier than others.”
Watch Bednar lay out his thinking on the goalie situation:
Wedgewood had been rolling through this postseason. The 33-year-old made seven straight starts to open the playoffs and went 6-1 with a 2.45 GAA and .911 save percentage. Saturday was the first time anyone in net for Colorado looked rattled.
He allowed three goals on 12 shots before getting yanked at 24:23. Mackenzie Blackwood took over and stopped 12 of 13 in relief, his first NHL action since beating Calgary 3-1 on April 14.
Together, the two split the workload all year. Wedgewood made 43 regular-season starts to Blackwood’s 36, and they combined to win the Jennings Trophy after Colorado allowed an NHL-low 203 goals.
Bednar said the tandem has earned the trust:
“(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.”
Catch the full Game 3 highlights from Saturday night:
Blackwood has playoff reps, too. He went 3-4 with a 2.71 GAA in seven starts during last year’s first-round loss to Dallas. If Bednar wants a fresh look, the resume is there.
Jesper Wallstedt drew the Game 3 start for Minnesota and helped the Wild get back into the series. Whichever way Colorado goes in net, they’ll need a better answer than they got in St. Paul.
Colorado leads the series 2-1. Game 4 drops at 8 p.m. ET in Minnesota.
