Mackenzie Blackwood Needing Big Game for Avalanche in Texas
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The Colorado Avalanche desperately need goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to have a solid performance in the net.
Blackwood has played four games this year so far, earning only two wins but recording 85 saves on 98 shots allowed. The Avalanche are coming off a 6-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, with Blackwood allowing three goals on four total shots in the second period. The netminder finished play against Toronto while giving up five goals on 22 shots.
Blackwood is expected to start in goal on Oct. 13 at the Dallas Stars, with Colorado Head Coach Jared Bednar stating that it is time for Blackwood to step up between the pipes.
"We'll see how he handles tomorrow," Bednar said on Blackwood on Oct. 12 per Meghan Angley. "Every day on the ice he's been exceptional. He has a game where — as a team — we need him to make a play. It's often about a guy making a play, whether it's [Nathan MacKinnon] on the offensive side of it or anyone else, or someone making a play on the defensive side of it. And I think getting a big save in a difficult situation is also part of that ... We came up short as a team last game doing that."
The Stars currently have five points in the Central Division, compared to the Avs, who are just ahead with six.
However, Dallas does have two shutout wins already under their belt throughout the 2026-27 NHL season — including a 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 8 and a 5-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks in the game prior.
"I'm anxious to see how he handles a good team in Dallas tomorrow night — how our whole team does, not just Mackenzie," Bednar also said.
Blackwood is also coming off lower-body injuries from last season.
Who Are the Other Options in Goal for the Avalanche?
Blackwood has a career 2.90 goals-against average and has logged 17 shutouts. He was originally drafted in the second round by the New Jersey Devils in 2015 and was traded to the Avs by the Sharks in Dec., 2024.
Scott Wedgewood is the other goalie listed on the Avalanche roster. The AHL affiliates of the Colorado Eagles are Ilya Nabokov and Nikita Novoselov.
Puck drop against the Dallas Stars is slated for 7:30 p.m. Central at American Airlines Center. Following play against the Stars, the Avs will then get the chance to host the Texas team at Ball Arena on Oct. 14.
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Jennifer Streeter graduated with a B.A. in journalism from Texas A&M and received her Master of Science from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. At both schools, she focused on an emphasis of sports reporting. A former athlete herself, "Jenny" was a varsity soccer player and comes from a family who participated in NCAA athletics. She has covered hockey since 2023 and is credentialed for the Seattle Kraken, New Jersey Devils and PWHL in addition to having covered the 2026 Frozen Four.