Mackenzie Blackwood, in his fourth start of the season, got the first Avalanche shutout of 2025-26 after making 35 saves on Saturday. And what a performance it was.
This wasn’t one of those games where Colorado’s offense was rolling and Blackwood had a cushion. It wasn’t him playing well down the stretch to secure a personal accomplishment. Blackwood didn’t have any wiggle room. One goal against would’ve extended the game — something he would not allow.
The Avs went into Nashville and defeated the Predators 3-0. The game winner came just 15 seconds in off a shot from Brent Burns. It was an unassisted tally — his second of the season — and it was the difference.
Preds goalie Juuse Saros made 23 saves. The Avalanche eventually added two empty-net goals. First, Nathan MacKinnon scored his 17th of the season. And after head coach Andre Brunette pulled his goalie again, Jack Drury added another tally on the open net to make it 3-0.
Positive: Blackwood Saves the Avalanche
There’s no other way to put it. Blackwood was the only reason why Colorado came out of this game unscathed. They got two points, they got a regulation win, and they did it while playing their sloppiest game all year.
All of that was thanks to Blackwood. In the first, the Avs’ netminder made 16 saves in a period where Colorado was outshot 16-6. He kept the perfect game going throughout the second and third, which included three power plays for the Preds.
Blackwood has had a slow start to the season. After missing all of training camp and preseason, head coach Jared Bednar has eased Blackwood back into game form. And he was able to do that because Scott Wedgewood has been excellent between the pipes.
In his first three starts, Blackwood surrendered 10 goals, and at least three in each game. This game was his arrival. Blackwood looked like the guy that led Colorado through the rigors of last year’s season. His arrival came at an opportune time, in a game where the team in front of him needed the goalie to be perfect.
Kudos to No. 39. I’m sure that one felt good for him.
Negative: Sloppy, Sloppy, Sloppy Hockey
I’m not sure what went wrong, but from the moment the puck dropped after the Burns goal, the Avs just didn’t have it. They couldn’t move the puck well, couldn’t generate many opportunities, were falling all over each other, and it felt like most of their passes landed on Nashville players’ sticks rather than their own teammates’.
It wasn’t pretty. At all.
But hey, when you have that kind of a performance and still come away with a regulation win, you take it every single time.
In terms of personal performances, MacKinnon did not have a shot on goal before the empty netter with 1:35 remaining. Cale Makar and Martin Necas also had one, each.
Blackwood saved them.
