The Colorado Avalanche look like a team that has finally found itself back on track from here on out. Or, at least, that’s my theory heading into the second half of the season. It’s becoming clear they made the right move getting rid of a pair of hopeless goaltenders and replacing them with MacKenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood, one of whom has particularly impressed.
That said, for one of the NHL’s top-10 scoring teams as of Tuesday afternoon, the Avs only need to ensure their goaltenders are playing consistent hockey. But if I had to pick just one of the two in terms of desperately needing a red-hot second half of the season, it’s Blackwood.
The younger of the two goaltenders who coincidentally have the name ‘wood’ in their last names is in his age-28 season, meaning he can be the long-term answer in the net the Avs would do better to find sooner rather than later.
And so far, Blackwood has impressed with a 4-1-0 record, a 0.940 save percentage, and an amazing 1.82 GAA. Through his five starts with Colorado, Blackwood has also notched a 1.000 quality starts percentage, which in and of itself is one incredible number.
Colorado Avalanche goaltender must get red-hot in the second half
Blackwood must continue to prove to fans that he can be one of the better netminders in hockey, even if he may never reach a true No. 1 goaltender status, clocking in better, perhaps as a 1A. The way things have been going, he’s well on track to get there, but if he keeps playing the way he has, the entire Avs team’s potential is limitless.
Goaltending was the only real fallacy holding this group back. And while they’ve been somewhat lackluster in other stat lines, like their penalty kill, for example, it hasn’t been brutal. But their play in the net through much of the first half of the season has.
That’s not the case with Blackwood and Wedgewood taking the stage. But with Wedgewood in his age-32 season, all eyes should be on Blackwood. The Western Conference, and particularly the Central Division, is a competitive one, and that kicks the sense of urgency up regarding Blackwood playing sound hockey every time his number’s called even more.
So, if he can even keep playing remotely close to the pace he has, watch out, Avs fans because the second half of your team’s 2024-25 season will be a fun ride.