The Colorado Avalanche are turning to goalie Mackenzie Blackwood for Tuesday’s must-win Game 4 against the Vegas Golden Knight in the Western Conference Final.
Blackwood was in the starter’s net at Tuesday’s morning skate at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and head coach Jared Bednar confirmed afterwards he will get the start.
Bednar also confirmed that Nathan MacKninnon will be in the lineup after appearing to suffer a lower-body injury in Game 3. Fellow forward Valeri Nichushkin will be a game-time decision.
Scott Wedgewood has started the majority of Colorado’s playoff games this spring, including all three losses to the Golden Knights, allowing four goals on 22 shots in a 5-3 defeat in Game 3 on Sunday.
Blackwood has three playoff appearances during the Avs’ run, including two starts, with his most recent in-game action occurring on May 13 in Game 5 of their second-round series against the Minnesota Wild. The 29-year-old was pulled after the opening period of that contest after allowing three goals on 13 shots and hasn’t played since.
With Wedgewood between the pipes, the Avalanche came back to win Game 5 by a score of 4-3 in overtime, clinching the series victory and a spot in the conference final.
Blackwood has a 3.20 goals-against average and a .872 save percentage in the playoffs and posted a 23-10-2 record with a 2.51 GAA and a .904 save percentage across 39 games during the regular season.
Wedgewood, 33, received the majority of the starts during the regular season, producing a 31-6-6 record with a 2.02 GAA and a .921 save percentage alongside four shutouts over 45 appearances.
He has a 7-4 record with a 2.48 GAA and a .904 save percentage over 11 postseason appearances.
The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche won 55 of 82 games during the 2025-26 season before defeating the Los Angeles Kings and Wild in four and five games, respectively, over the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Nothing has worked in the Western Conference Final against the Golden Knights as the Avs need a win in Game 4 just to avoid the sweep.
Star defenceman Cale Makar missed the first two games of the series with an injury while MacKinnon was severely hobbled after blocking a shot in Game 3, leading to questions regarding his effectiveness for Game 4 on Tuesday.
MacKinnon was not on the ice for the optional skate, alongside Nichushkin, Ross Colton and Brent Burns.
