It sounds like the Avalanche may rotate two goalies during the playoffs
"I think there's more teams going to that kind of plan, and we're definitely going to be one of them," Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said
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The Colorado Avalanche have a problem.
It’s a good problem, but it still might be a problem.
The Avs have two of the best goalies in the NHL in Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood. Wedgewood leads the league in goals against average per game (2.10) and save percentage (.918). He also has a spectacular 29-6-6 record this season.
And while Blackwood hasn’t been quite as good, he’s still solid. His goals against average is 2.54, which puts him eighth in the NHL. He also has a .901 save percentage and a 22-10-1 record.
Most Avalanche fans want head coach Jared Bednar to pick a goalie and stick with him during the playoffs. The overwhelming preference is for Wedgewood, but that might not be the case.
Bednar met with the media on Friday, the day after Colorado clinched the Presidents’ Trophy, and gave one of his most revealing answers yet on the goaltending situation. He very well might rotate both Wedgewood and Blackwood in the postseason.
“It’s unconventional, but I think there’s more teams going to that kind of plan, and we’re definitely going to be one of them,” Bednar said.
The Avalanche had to play two goalies on their way to the Stanley Cup in 2022, but that was more out of necessity. Darcy Kuemper took a stick in the eye against the Predators and backup Pavel Francouz ended up in the crease for six games, all six Colorado victories.
But that’s not the norm, as normally squads play one goalie their whole postseason run.
This could simply be a bluff from Bednar, saying one thing to reporters and then doing another when the dance actually begins. However, the Avs head coach is normally a straight shooter, so he should be taken at his word.
If Blackwood struggles, like he has during stretches this year, it could backfire. But if both guys are lights out, maybe it’ll work brilliantly as the Avalanche bring home their fourth championship in franchise history.
This is definitely a situation worth monitoring before the NHL postseason fun begins next weekend.






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