Colorado made its first postseason goalie change in Game 3, pulling Scott Wedgewood for Mackenzie Blackwood after early goals by Minnesota.
A key postseason decision landed early in Game 3, as the Colorado Avalanche made their first goalie change of the playoffs—replacing Scott Wedgewood in the middle of the second period against the Minnesota Wild.
The switch came Saturday in St.. Paul after Wedgewood allowed three goals.. He recorded 10 saves before yielding the net to Mackenzie Blackwood.. Blackwood’s last game action before entering was on April 14. setting up a high-leverage moment for a goalie who had not been the regular starter in the current postseason run.
The move also reflected how evenly Colorado’s goaltending tandem has been sharing responsibility this season.. Both Wedgewood and Blackwood were regulars during the Avalanche’s rotation, with Wedgewood posting 43 starts and Blackwood making 36.. Together, they claimed the William M.. Jennings Trophy awarded to the NHL team with the league’s best goals-against average during the regular season.
Heading into Game 3, Wedgewood had been performing like a top postseason option. He entered the matchup with a 6-0 record and had allowed just 2.12 goals per game on a .923 save percentage. For the playoffs to date, those numbers reinforced why the Avalanche were willing to rely heavily on him.
Still, the play in front of Wedgewood shifted the tone of the night.. Minnesota scored in ways that highlighted both defensive missteps and discipline issues for Colorado.. Kirill Kaprizov found the net during a four-on-four sequence that followed roughing penalties involving Colorado’s Parker Kelly and Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman.
Colorado’s problems intensified after a separate sequence: a hooking penalty on defenseman Devon Toews handed the Wild more than a minute of four-on-three power play time. Quinn Hughes then converted from the top of the slot, turning a late defensive lapse into a momentum swing for Minnesota.
In the second period, the Wild struck again after Kelly was called for holding Hughes, continuing a pattern of special-teams pressure. Hartman batted in an airborne shot to make it 3-0, and it was at that point that coach Jared Bednar made the goalie change.
Blackwood had been the Avalanche’s playoff option during last year’s run as well, when Colorado fell to the Dallas Stars in seven games in the first round. Blackwood played the whole series, offering a reminder of the experience he brings even when he is not the day-to-day starter.
For Minnesota, the goaltending storyline has been equally focused on matchups. After backstopping the Wild to a six-game victory over the Stars in the first round, rookie Jesper Wallstedt was the natural choice to open this series against the Avalanche.
Minnesota’s decision-making in the early series also followed performance swings.. After a highly unusual 9-6 loss in Game 1, coach John Hynes shifted to Filip Gustavsson for Game 2.. The veteran had been Minnesota’s primary goalie over the previous three seasons, making 49 regular-season starts, while Wallstedt had 33.
But Gustavsson did not appear sharp in the 5-2 loss on Tuesday, and Minnesota reverted to Wallstedt for Game 3. That back-and-forth reflects how quickly playoff coaching staffs respond when the margins tighten and goaltending form becomes central to each game’s flow.
The Avalanche’s mid-game adjustment in Game 3. made after a cluster of goals tied to penalties and defensive breakdowns. underscored a broader truth of playoff hockey: even strong regular-season numbers can be overwhelmed when special teams and positioning fail at critical moments.. For Colorado. the hope is that the change in net can disrupt Minnesota’s timing and help steady play during the second and third periods.
Meanwhile, for the Wild, keeping the pressure on through multiple penalty stretches shaped the result early.. Minnesota’s ability to generate goals during man-advantage and even off the clock of those penalties helped build a cushion that left Colorado with limited options once the deficit reached three.
Whether Blackwood’s entrance restores stability or whether it becomes a short-lived response will be tested in how Colorado manages its discipline and defensive coverage going forward.. With the series at a high-stakes point. each power-play sequence and each defensive miscue can decide whether the goalie change becomes a turning point or just another moment in a tightly contested playoff matchup.
NHL playoffs Avalanche Wild goalie change Scott Wedgewood Mackenzie Blackwood Jared Bednar