Blackwood starts – Mackenzie Blackwood is set to start for Colorado in Game 4 vs Minnesota, while Arturri Lehkonen and Sam Malinski sit out with upper-body injuries.
A pivotal Game 4 awaits the Colorado Avalanche, with a new face in goal and several health-related lineup changes shaping how they’ll approach their matchup with the Minnesota Wild.
Colorado will turn to Mackenzie Blackwood between the pipes for Game 4. as the Avalanche carry a 2-1 series lead into the next contest.. The switch is also a direct response to what happened in Game 3. when Scott Wedgewood was pulled after allowing three goals on just 12 shots. despite having started each of Colorado’s playoff games up to that point.
Blackwood’s regular-season form gave Colorado confidence to make the call.. In 39 games, he posted a .904 save percentage and a 2.51 goals-against average, including three shutouts, helping power the Presidents’ Trophy-winning group.. With the stakes rising in the postseason. his track record following regular-season losses has also been highlighted as another reason for the change.
Per Sportsnet Stats, Blackwood owns an 8-2-0 record with a 2.20 goals-against average after a loss during the regular season. For a team already leading the series, the move suggests Colorado believes it can stabilize the defensive end while keeping its momentum against Minnesota.
Up front, the Avalanche will do it without Arturri Lehkonen.. The forward has been scratched with an upper-body injury. reducing their depth in the areas where chemistry and matchup-specific roles often matter most.. Alongside Lehkonen. defenseman Sam Malinski has also been ruled out due to an upper-body injury. further widening the gap in Colorado’s lineup.
Colorado’s changes are not limited to absences, however, with multiple returns giving the team fresh options. Josh Manson and Joel Kiviranta, both sidelined with injuries, are back in the lineup for Game 4.
Manson, 24, last appeared in Game 3 of the first round against the Los Angeles Kings, where he suffered the upper-body injury that kept him out since. Kiviranta, meanwhile, has been absent since Game 2 of that same Kings series after picking up an undisclosed injury and not taking the ice afterward.
With Manson and Kiviranta returning, the Avalanche have reshaped their defensive pairings.. Minnesota native Jack Ahcan will also make his playoff debut. entering Colorado’s lineup and joining Manson on the second pairing.. The 28-year-old played 11 regular-season games, recording two assists while averaging 11:32 of ice time.
For Colorado. combining a goaltending shakeup with defensive and forward lineup adjustments is a clear statement that the team is trying to maximize its best available lineup for the most critical phase of the series.. For Minnesota. Game 4 becomes a chance to test whether these changes help the Avalanche regain stability immediately—or whether the Wild can capitalize on the transitions as the postseason tightens.
Meanwhile. the absence of Lehkonen and Malinski due to upper-body injuries means Colorado will need its returning players and debutant roles to translate quickly.. If Blackwood can perform at a level closer to his regular-season impact—especially after Colorado’s Game 3 goaltending struggles—then the Avalanche’s 2-1 series lead could hold its ground even as the roster continues to adapt.
Colorado Avalanche Minnesota Wild Mackenzie Blackwood Lehkonen injury NHL playoffs Game 4 lineup Scott Wedgewood