- Mackenzie Blackwood is in line to start Game 4 for the Avalanche after taking the starter’s net at Monday morning skate
- The switch comes after Scott Wedgewood got pulled in Game 3, with Blackwood stopping 12 of 13 shots in relief
- Read below for what Jared Bednar said about the change and how the series sits heading into 8 p.m. ET puck drop
Mackenzie Blackwood is getting the ball tonight.
The Colorado Avalanche backup will start Game 4 against the Wild in St. Paul on Monday, his first crack at the net in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Beat reporter Evan Rawal spotted the change at morning skate, when Blackwood took the starter’s spot:
Jared Bednar wouldn’t fully confirm the switch when asked after the skate, but he wasn’t exactly hiding which way he was leaning.
“I mean, he’s looked sharp for us,” Bednar said. “I’ve really liked his practices and the time he’s spent on the ice with [goalie coach] Jussi [Parkkila]. We’re getting good reports and like I said at the start of the playoffs, we’re probably going to need both guys. Mackenzie’s ready to play. He wants the net.”
As we covered after Bednar said he had a decision to make on his Game 4 goalie, Wedgewood has been the playoff workhorse for Colorado up to this point. The 33-year-old started the Avs’ first seven postseason games and was 6-1 with a 2.45 GAA and .911 save percentage.
Then came Game 3, where he gave up three goals on 12 shots before Bednar pulled him early in the second period of the 5-1 loss.
Watch the Game 3 highlights:
Blackwood came on in relief that night and stopped 12 of 13. He’s not pretending the in-game cameo makes a road playoff start any less of a jump.
“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.”
It will be Blackwood’s first start since April 14, when he stopped 30 shots in a 3-1 win over the Flames. Colorado leads the second-round series 2-1, with puck drop set for 8 p.m. ET at Grand Casino Arena.
