Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood is quietly dominating the playoffs

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood has been a force in between the pipes to start the postseason, and his play is a large reason why the Avalanche have won two games

BY TRENT FINNEGAN

Apr 28, 2025, 9:27 AM

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The Colorado Avalanche are tied with the Dallas Stars through four games of the Western Conference First Round, and a large part of it is thanks to the man in between the pipes for the burgundy and blue, Mackenzie Blackwood.

Coming into the series, talks were focused on how the 28-year-old had never stepped on the ice for even a second in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and his inexperience could be an issue. Through four games, he’s been the last problem for head coach Jared Bednar.

Blackwood leads all goaltenders in the playoffs in terms of goals saved above expected, with 6.7, and wins above replacement (1.11) and save percentage on shots on goal (.939). He has faced the fifth-most shots on goal of any goalie, and is tied for the most minutes played of anyone in the playoffs.

In Colorado’s dominant Game 4 win on Saturday, Blackwood was flawless as he posted the first shutout of his postseason career. To him, the individual accomplishment took a backseat to the Avalanche getting the victory.

“You don’t really care about [the shutout],” Blackwood said after Game 4. “You just want to win the game. It’s more just an individual accolade, it doesn’t really mean that much.”

Blackwood also emphasized how every single game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is different from the last, and the shutout doesn’t give him any momentum heading into a pivotal Game 5 in Dallas on Monday night.

“It’s good to feel good and all, but every game’s different and you’ve got to come ready to go. Every game’s new,” Blackwood said.

His performance in Game 4 was the first shutout by an Avalanche goaltender since Darcy Kuemper blanked the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. He also became the fourth Avalanche goaltender to post their first postseason shutout with the franchise within his first four games.

It’s been a long time since Colorado had goaltending like this in the postseason. In 2024, Alexandar Georgiev was the third-worst goalie in the playoffs in terms of goals saved above expected. In 2023, he was 10th. Even in 2022, Kuemper was the second-worst goalie in that measurement, showing how dominant the Avalanche’s offense was that year. This performance from Blackwood is something that Colorado fans haven’t seen in quite some time, and will be the a vital component towards making a run for a fourth Stanley Cup.

Puck drop for Game 5 from Dallas on Monday is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Denver time.