Friendly competition is a beautiful thing.
Scott Wedgewood was incredible in his first 16 starts for the Avalanche, but he didn’t record a shutout. In Game No. 17, Wedgewood finally did. And it came less than 24 hours after Mackenzie Blackwood got his first in just four starts.
Blackwood finally got one on Wedgewood, and Wedgewood responded. Together, the duo made Avalanche history. But separately, the friendly competition between Colorado’s unstoppable goaltending tandem is elevating this team to new heights.
Nine straight wins. Two straight shutouts. Undefeated in 12 games (12-0-2). There’s so much that’s going right. The goaltending might be at the top of the list.
The Avs are 16-1-5 through the first 22 games.
READ MORE: The Aftermath: Shutout Again! Wedgewood Stands Tall, Avalanche Win 9th Straight
10 Observations
1. Wedgewood is 13-1-2 on the season, with a .918 save percentage and 2.09 goals-against average. It hasn’t even been a year since he was acquired from the Nashville Predators and he’s already got 26 wins with the Avs.
He only had 48 career wins when he arrived.
2. The first period v.s. Chicago was very concerning. But the way the Avs changed their game in the second was refreshing. Saturday in Nashville didn’t have that same adjustment. I’m not sure why they keep getting caved in early, but I do feel like the depth taking a hit is playing a part in it. They’re missing four guys that could be in the lineup every night, all forwards. Still, you want to see a better defensive effort.
There were also far too many boneheaded giveaways on Saturday, but that was cleaned up quite a bit Sunday.
3. Tristen Nielsen has been a great story since camp began. He wasn’t even signed to an NHL contract on opening night and now he’s got his first career point. There are at least 14 forwards in this organization ahead of him on the depth chart and he’s already doing more than any of the call ups did last season when Colorado didn’t have that depth.
Depth has always been an issue for the Avs since 2022. It doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.
4. That’s three straight games at over 18 minutes for Gabe Landeskog after playing 15 or fewer in each of the first 18. The more he gets comfortable, the better. This was always going to be a work in progress, and the fact that he’s already at this stage, while playing on back-to-back nights, is a good thing. It’s too bad he couldn’t get that late empty-netter in Chicago on his 33rd birthday.
5. For the first time in franchise history, the Avalanche have shutouts on back-to-back days. Patrick Roy never did it. Blackwood and Wedgewood did.
6. For that to happen amid the news that Alexandar Georgiev is terminating his NHL contract to head back to Russia is one of those strange coincidences. But it’s a reminder of where this team was just 12 months ago.
At this time last year, Georgiev was still the starter, Justus Annunen was his backup, and the Avalanche couldn’t get a save from either of them. Tomorrow is exactly one year since the 8-2 loss in Tampa Bay that saw both goalies get pulled in the same game.
READ MORE: Alexandar Georgiev To Terminate NHL Contract With Buffalo, Depart for KHL
7. The best part about what the Avs are doing this season is how they’re able to win all sorts of games. They’ve made comebacks, they’ve had nights where they dominate from the opening puck drop. In other games, they’ve needed a strong period to win. Sometimes it’s the superstars running the show, other times it’s the depth. And in games like this past weekend, goaltending was the main factor.
What a difference from two weeks ago, when the Avs last played on back-to-back nights on the road. During that trip, they scored 14 goals in two games, and Nathan MacKinnon had nine points. This time, they only got two past a goalie, two more on an empty net, and outscored the opposition 4-0. MacKinnon had an empty net goal. That’s it.
8. Two players that I genuinely can’t believe did not score in Sunday’s game: Ross Colton and Ryan Greene.
9. Colton showed a lot of frustration after the whistle and on the bench during this road trip. He was visibly snapping his head back after big saves and was noticeably frustrated with himself on the bench between shifts.
It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s something worth observing as he continues to play on the second line. He expects more out of himself. He probably should’ve made it 2-0 before the third period was over.
10. This Blackhawks game reminded me of something that I’ve thought for years: Ilya Mikheyev seems like the perfect fit for the Avs in a depth role. I’m not saying they’re going to, or should target him (he makes $4.75 million). But his relentless forechecking, speed, and penalty killing abilities are all qualities that the Avs love in their depth forwards.
He was super dangerous on the PK and probably had the best scoring chances on any Avalanche power play. That in itself is a concern for this team.
