Bold statement: Even in the face of adversity, Colorado’s Avalanche prove time and again they can overcome setbacks and still secure a victory. But behind that success lies a precarious situation that could shape the team’s breakout season. Here’s a fresh take on the latest game and what it could mean going forward.
Adversity has followed the Avalanche this season, yet the NHL’s top team has consistently found a path to victory. In the most recent test, starting goalie Scott Wedgewood left the ice and disappeared down the tunnel with 7:32 left in the second period of a 1-1 game. The team later announced an upper-body injury.
Head coach Jared Bednar offered a calm assessment: “He tightened up a little bit. His back. Thought we’d take him out. Better safe than sorry. Nothing too serious at this point.” Mackenzie Blackwood stepped in and steadied the ship for Colorado, though he faced relatively few shots as the game wore on.
Colorado grabbed two goals before the intermission and delivered a strong middle frame to top the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 at Ball Arena.
Nathan MacKinnon struck twice, Brock Nelson added a goal, and Gabe Landeskog contributed two primary assists. Blackwood stopped 10 of 11 shots in relief to earn the win. Wedgewood had made 10 saves on 11 shots before exiting.
The Canucks opened the scoring early. Linus Karlsson beat Wedgewood on the backhand just 2:55 into the game, set up by Arshdeep Bains. The Avs looked sloppy for much of the first period, but Wedgewood bailed them out from slipping behind by multiple goals.
On one sequence, Brent Burns’s pinch failed to dislodge the puck, allowing Vancouver’s Kiefer Sherwood to break in on a breakaway, which was stopped by a glove save.
Colorado’s late-third-minute turnaround continued to swing the momentum in their favor. With 37 seconds left in the period, MacKinnon knocked in a rebound from Sam Malinski to level the score at 1-1.
One minute and 24 seconds after Wedgewood left, Nelson found the net off a setup from Landeskog. The veteran second-line center has tallied 12 points in his last 10 games. MacKinnon added another late goal, just 34 seconds remaining, with Landeskog’s pass assisting on his league-leading 22nd of the season.
Landeskog also displayed consistent production, posting a point-per-game pace over his last 10 games with four goals and six assists, plus six points across his previous two contests.
“I think it was just a matter of time,” Landeskog remarked. “That’s how it felt to me, and I’m sure Brock felt the same way.”
Positive takeaway: Wedgewood’s steadiness kept the game within reach
It’s been a while since Colorado trailed by more than one goal in a game, and Vancouver’s hypothetical two-goal cushion might have been fatal in some matchups. Yet Wedgewood’s performance kept the Avs within striking distance, preventing the game from spiraling out of control. Colorado’s first period still felt uncharacteristically loose, with several giveaways but they bounced back and seized control as the game progressed.
Beyond Karlsson’s early score, Wedgewood shut the door the rest of the way, and the Avalanche never trailed again.
Negative takeaway: the potential loss of Wedgewood
Losing a starting goalie during a stacked schedule would be a significant blow, especially with a back-to-back on the horizon. Fortunately, the injury doesn’t appear severe, but the immediate concern is preserving depth in goal.
Colorado heads on the road Thursday and then faces another game soon after in a back-to-back sequence. The team will need both of their remaining goalies to stay fresh without overburdening either one.
Bednar confirmed Wedgewood will travel with the team to Philadelphia on Wednesday. It remains to be seen whether a third goalie will be recalled if needed.
Implications for the lineup and beyond
Losing a key netminder could complicate Bednar’s two-goalie rotation and might impact deeper plans, including roster decisions for upcoming contests and potential national team considerations for Wedgewood. The next few games will reveal how Colorado adapts under pressure and whether this setback becomes a temporary obstacle or a longer-term variable in their pursuit of excellence this season. Would this be the moment to accelerate development for Blackwood or to explore external options to maintain an elite goaltending tandem? Share your thoughts in the comments on how you’d manage the goal-support strategy if Wedgewood’s injury lingers or if more games pile up on the schedule.
