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Blackwood, Avalanche shutout Stars in Game 4 to even series

The Colorado Avalanche played a dominant Game 4 to tie the series at 2-2, shifting the momentum in the favor as Game 5 looms in Dallas on Tuesday night.
ByNestor Quixtan|
The Colorado Avalanche got the job done in Game 4 against the Dallas Stars at home, evening the series at 2-2.
The Colorado Avalanche got the job done in Game 4 against the Dallas Stars at home, evening the series at 2-2. | Matthew Stockman/GettyImages

MacKenzie Blackwood and the Colorado Avalanche played their best game of the postseason, shutting out the Dallas Stars 4-0 in Game 4 at Ball Arena on Saturday night.

Blackwood earned his first postseason shutout, stopping all 23 shots he faced on the night. Blackwood was solid, despite not facing a high volume of shots. Still, he turned aside several dangerous scoring opportunities, allowing the Avalanche to score enough goals to put the game away.

The Stars could not muster any offense as the Avalanche matched the physicality Dallas had shown in the first three games. As the Avalanche ramped up their game, they made Dallas pay for their miscues.

A good example came on Nathan MacKinnon’s power play goal. Here’s a look:

MacKinnon fired a rocket of a one-timer to put the Avalanche up 2-0 in the first period. Dallas netminder Jake Oettinger had no chance of stopping that puck as he tried to get across the crease to make the save.

In the end, it was Blackwood who won this time, destroying any doubt surrounding his lack of playoff experience. Blackwood has proven to be the goalie the Avalanche needed to backstop a strong playoff run.

The Avs, overall, did what they had to do. They dominated the game and won. Now, the series is tied at 2-2, with the winner of Game 5 gaining two chances to move on to the second round.

Landeskog the biggest story of the night for Colorado Avalanche

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog hardly looks like he's missed any time, registering two points in Game 4.
Colorado Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog hardly looks like he's missed any time, registering two points in Game 4. | Matthew Stockman/GettyImages

Gabriel Landeskog scored his first goal in over 1,000 days for the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs’ captain, in his second game back to the NHL since recovering from knee surgery, scored in the second period to give the Avs a 3-0 lead.

Let’s look at the goal:

Landeskog took a pass from Brock Nelson, burying a rocket of a slapshot past Oettinger. The elation in Landeskog’s reaction said it all as teammates mobbed him on the ice.

The goal was huge as it put the game away for the Avalanche. The Avs had been pressing the entire period but could not beat Oettinger. Once Landeskog scored, the Stars fell completely flat, failing to mount a comeback.

In the end, it was Colorado that came up huge in Game 4. They didn’t just eek out a win. It was a convincing victory that has now shifted the momentum in their favor. A Game 5 win would put the Avs in the driver’s seat as the Stars look for answers against what looks to be a dominant Avalanche squad.

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