Avalanche notes: Another huge road win, impressive fitness, Blackwood brilliant

The Colorado Avalanche pulled off the 21st win of the season in the second leg of this weekend’s back-to-back set. The game was also Colorado’s third game in four days. The win was a tight 3-2 contest over the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center.

Impressively, MacKenzie Blackwood made his second start in consecutive days. And Blackwood did not disappoint. The Avalanche netminder had 23 of 25 saves for the win. Most importantly, he made 13 saves in the third period as the Flyers dominated the final frame 13-3 in the shot column.

So, let’s dig a little deeper into the Avalanche’s latest road win in this edition of the Avalanche notes.

Avalanche get another huge road win

The Avalanche have rebounded nicely in their last two games after a 6-3 loss to the New York Islanders. After beating the New York Rangers 3-2 in overtime on Saturday, the Avalanche followed that up with another 3-2 win.

Brent Burns, Brock Nelson, and Valeri Nichushkin had the goals for the Avalanche. It was great to see these guys step up, especially in a game where the big guns in Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Martin Necas did not find the back of the net. Still, all three got an assist in the game.

The Avs played a very strong game during the first 40 minutes, but fell flat in the third. The Flyers took over, but managed to hold on in the third for the win.

Impressive fitness by Colorado

Teams playing on back-to-back nights or multiple games with short rest tend to come out flat. But not the Avs. They showed impressive fitness, flying in the first two periods. However, they ran out of gas somewhat in the third.

While the Flyers took over, the Avalanche clamped down and preserved the lead. It seemed more like the defensive effort was by design rather than fatigue. The Flyers tried to push to tie the game, but Philly just didn’t get enough high-danger chances to tie the game.

But there was one play in particular that made the difference in the game.

Blackwood brilliant

MacKenzie Blackwood was simply brilliant for the Avalanche. But it was one save in particular that stood out. In the third period, the Flyers survived a scramble in front of their net. The madness allowed Trevor Zegras to get behind the play and head on a breakaway. MacKinnon did a fantastic job of getting back in the play and staying with Zegas.

MacKinnon did just enough to hamper Zegras, preventing him from getting of solid shot on goal. However, MacKinnon got called on the play, leading to a penalty shot on the ice. Zegras got going but failed to beat Blackwood.

Here’s a look at the shot, as shown on the Avalanche’s official X account:

Blackwood read the shot perfectly. He didn’t even have to move to stop Zegras on the play. The Flyers did not get a better scoring chance for the remainder of the game.

The Avalanche are now 21-2-6 and will take on the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night at the Bridgestone Arena. The game will mark the end of the road trip before heading back for a brief two-game homestand.