Avalanche eyeing adjustments for Game 4 in bid to keep series edge

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Four games, four starting goalies.

Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar and Minnesota Wild boss John Hynes warned us when this Stanley Cup playoff series began that they’d be comfortable changing goalies, but we didn’t expect the full roster of puck-stoppers to appear before the end of Game 3.

Mackenzie Blackwood is expected to start Game 4 Monday night (8 p.m. ET on Sportsnet, Sportsnet+) for the Avalanche after replacing Scott Wedgewood partway through Saturday’s contest, which the Wild won 5-1 with the return of their starter, Jesper Wallstedt, after a one-game reset.

The lopsided victory brought the Wild into this series, down 2-1, and forced Bednar and the Avalanche to make adjustments.

Their response will include giving Blackwood, who lost the No. 1 designation to Wedgewood this season, his first start since Colorado’s second-to-last regular-season game on April 14.

Defenceman Josh Manson, injured in Game 3 of the Avalanche’s first-round sweep of the Los Angeles Kings, could also play, although Bednar declined after Monday’s morning skate to confirm his roster. Injured winger Joel Kiviranta is another option for Colorado, Bednar said

Blackwood was the first Avalanche goalie off the ice and was kept away from reporters, so he almost certainly will be starting ahead of Wedgewood for the first time in nine games.

As Saturday’s reliever, Blackwood stopped 12 of 13 shots and was beaten only on an unlucky rebound bounce off Wild defenceman Brock Faber’s leg.

“He has looked sharp for us,” Bednar told reporters. “I’ve really liked his practices and the time that he has spent on the ice with Jussi (goaltending coach Jussi Parkkila). We're getting good reports and, you know, like I said at the start of the playoffs, we're probably going to need both guys. It's how we ran all year, and we have confidence in both guys. And I think Mackenzie's ready to play. He wants the net.”

With the opening of his season delayed by off-season surgery last summer, Blackwood started 36 games for Colorado, seven fewer than Wedgewood, whose breakthrough campaign included a .921 save rate that eclipsed his teammate’s .904.

Wedgewood started the first nine games for the Avalanche last fall, but hadn’t been leaned on as heavily since then until the playoffs. 

Hynes was criticized for replacing Wallstedt with Minnesota backup Filip Gustavsson in Game 2, but saw the benefit of the rest and practice time for his starter when Wallstedt returned sharper for Game 3.

Bednar is hoping a reset will also help Wedgewood, although Blackwood now has the chance to keep the net.

“Yeah, I think so,” the coach said. “Like, I think it's a lot, right? If you're looking at Wedgie’s track record, it's been great for us. But it's not a starter role all the time, right? He's done a great job when he's gone in the net and played for us, and some of them are small stretches, some of them are a little bit larger. But I think for a guy that's not used to going every night ... (with) the mental stress of a playoff series or two playoff series, it can be beneficial to give him a break and kind of reset and then see how he does when he comes back. No question.”

Although Bednar is considering swapping positions on his forward lines, the most likely change will be Manson replacing Nick Blankenburg on Colorado’s blue line.

“You're looking at a big, strong bottom six in Minny that protects the puck real well,” Bednar said of the Wild’s forwards. “And so the size and physicality and the ability to close plays out and get you in and out of your zone a little quicker is, for me, the most beneficial thing (Manson) can bring for us.”

Injured centre Joel Eriksson Ek did not skate for Minnesota, so Hynes is expected to go with the same lineup. He will also be expecting something close to Colorado’s best game. 

Game 4 is hugely important, determining whether the Wild return to Denver on Tuesday tied 2-2 or down 3-1 and facing elimination against the Stanley Cup favourites.

“Yeah, we played a good game (Saturday) and won the game, but it's a race to four,” Hynes said. 

“We haven't proved anything until we win another one and another one and another one. That's our job. Our mindset, collectively in here, isn't about what took place; it's the lessons out of it. And now the focus turns to Game 4. 

“In our experiences with this group, last playoff series we got better and better as the series went on. These last two games, we've proven that again — Game 1 to 2, 2 to 3. Now our job is to be even better.”

Avalanche superstar Cale Makar, believed to be managing an injury sustained in Game 1, did not skate Monday but is expected to play.

Projected lineups

Colorado Avalanche

Landeskog-MacKinnon-Necas
Lehkonen-Nelson-Necas
Colton-Kadri-Roy
Kelly-Drury-O’Connor

Toews-Makar
Manson-Burns
Kulak-Malinski

Blackwood

Minnesota Wild

Kaprizov-Hartman-Zuccarello
Johansson-Yurov-Boldy
Trenin-McCarron-Tarasenko
N. Foligno-Sturm-M. Foligno

Hughes-Faber
Hunt-Spurgeon
Middleton-Bogosian

Wallstedt