Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Records first regulation loss
Rotowire
Blackwood made 36 saves on 41 attempts on goal in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Islanders.
Blackwood got off on the wrong foot in Thursday's contest as he allowed the first four goals of the contest through 28 minutes. With the loss, he now has a 6-1-1 record with a 2.28 GAA and a .920 save percentage through eight appearances this season. The 28-year-old netminder was off to an elite start this season, with Thursday's loss ending his six-game win streak. Blackwood has shown flashes of greatness with a shutout in a quarter of his appearances this season, but will likely have his ceiling in fantasy limited while operating in a tandem with Scott Wedgewood. Regardless, Blackwood should be rostered in all fantasy formats while the Avalanche remain atop the Central Division standings. His next opportunity to bounce back is Saturday across the state of New York for a tilt with the Rangers.
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Guarding crease versus Islanders
Rotowire
Blackwood will start on the road against the Islanders on Thursday, per Brian Compton of NHL.com.
Blackwood has won six straight games after losing in a shootout against the Sharks on Nov. 1, in his season debut. Blackwood has a 1.85 GAA and a .930 save percentage with the high-flying Avalanche across seven games this season. The Islanders are generating 2.85 goals per game, which ranks 24th in the NHL.
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Perfect in relief for win
Rotowire
Blackwood stopped all 11 shots he faced in relief of Scott Wedgewood (upper body) in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Canucks.
Blackwood was called upon just over halfway through the second period, entering after a TV timeout. The 28-year-old didn't face much traffic to close out that frame, and while the Canucks generated more shots in the third, he held them at bay to collect his sixth straight win. He's allowed just nine goals on 149 shots (.940 save percentage) during the streak, which includes everything but his season debut. Blackwood and Wedgewood were starting to settle into an even share of the crease, but Wedgewood's injury could lead to Blackwood getting significant playing time for a while, depending on the severity. The Avalanche begin a four-game road trip versus the Islanders on Thursday, and it includes a back-to-back (Saturday against the Rangers, Sunday versus the Flyers).
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Guarding home goal
Rotowire
Blackwood is set to start at home against Montreal on Saturday.
Blackwood is coming off back-to-back shutout victories against San Jose on Wednesday and Nashville on Nov. 22. He's 4-0-1 with a 1.98 GAA and a .928 save percentage in five outings this year. The Canadiens are 13-7-3 and rank fourth in goals per game with 3.48.
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Records second straight shutout
Rotowire
Blackwood posted a 26-save shutout in Wednesday's 6-0 win over the Sharks.
Blackwood earned his second straight shutout after blanking the Predators in a 3-0 win last Saturday. The 28-year-old netminder has won his past four starts while stopping 101 of 108 shots (.935 save percentage) over that stretch. His red-hot play between the pipes should translate to more starts for a Colorado team that sits at the top of the NHL standings thanks to its ongoing 10-game winning streak.
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Slated to face San Jose
Rotowire
Blackwood is slated to start at home against San Jose on Wednesday, per Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette.
Blackwood has won his past three games while stopping 82 of 89 shots (.921 save percentage). That includes a 35-save shutout over Nashville in his last start Saturday. San Jose is tied for 22nd in goals per game with 2.91.
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Locks things down in shutout win
Rotowire
Blackwood posted a 35-save shutout in Saturday's 3-0 win over the Predators.
The final score was bolstered by two empty-netters -- Blackwood had a one-goal lead for the vast majority of the contest. The Avalanche weren't at their best despite Brent Burns' goal 15 seconds into the game, but Blackwood was sharp. This was the 28-year-old goalie's first shutout of the season, and he's won his last three outings. He's allowed 10 goals on 112 shots through four appearances. Scott Wedgewood has been too good to get pushed into the backup role, but Blackwood now has some momentum to reclaim a larger share of starts. Expect Wedgewood to start in Chicago on Sunday, with his performance in that game potentially dictating the short-term work distribution for the week ahead.
Blackwood will guard the visiting goal in Nashville on Saturday, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.
Blackwood will make only his fourth start of the season, as Scott Wedgewood's outstanding play between the pipes has relegated Blackwood to a backup role. Blackwood is 2-0-1 with a 3.28 GAA and a weak .870 save percentage this season. He could get a break Saturday, as the Predators sit 31st in the NHL this year with 2.40 goals per game.
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Still shaking off rust
Rotowire
Blackwood stopped 18 of 21 shots in Thursday's 6-3 win over the Sabres.
Blackwood wasn't great, but he didn't need to be as the Avalanche jumped out to a quick lead. The Sabres were able to briefly tie the game late in the second period before Gavin Brindley put Colorado ahead for good. Blackwood is 2-0-1 through three starts, but he's allowed 10 goals on 77 shots so far. After the game, head coach Jared Bednar announced Scott Wedgewood will start Sunday versus the Islanders, per Ryan Boulding of NHL.com, so it looks like Blackwood will continue to have to be patient when it comes to getting more chances to play. As long as Wedgewood's play remains strong, Blackwood may not have an opportunity for anything more than an even split of starts.
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Facing Sabres
Rotowire
Blackwood will start Thursday's home game versus Buffalo, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.
Blackwood will make his third start of the season, as he missed the first 10 games of the season dealing with a lower-body injury suffered during the offseason. Blackwood is 1-0-1 with a 3.41 GAA and an .875 save percentage this season, as he currently has ceded the No. 1 job in Colorado to Scott Wedgewood. The Sabres are scoring 2.63 goals per game, tied for 26th in NHL scoring.
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Tending twine in Vancouver
Rotowire
Blackwood is drawing the start in Vancouver on Sunday, Jeff Paterson of CanucksArmy.com reports.
Blackwood surrendered three goals on 23 shots in his 2025-26 debut during a 3-2 overtime loss to the Sharks on Nov. 1. The 28-year-old dealt with a lower-body injury to begin the season, and considering Scott Wedgewood has a 9-1-2 record, the Avalanche probably don't feel the need to thrust Blackwood into the No. 1 role at this time. It remains to be seen if Blackwood will eventually receive the bulk of the starts, but he should be a solid option for fantasy managers whenever he's in net, as Colorado currently sits atop the league's standings.
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Expected starter for Saturday
Rotowire
Blackwood is slated to start in San Jose on Saturday, per Conor McGahey of Altitude TV on Friday.
Scott Wedgewood is expected to start in Vegas on Friday, so it makes sense for Blackwood to handle the second half of the back-to-back. The 28-year-old Blackwood hasn't played between the pipes for Colorado yet this season because of a lower-body injury, but he served as the backup goaltender for Tuesday's 8-4 win over New Jersey and is set to be the understudy again Friday. Blackwood had a 28-21-6 record, 2.55 GAA and .912 save percentage in 56 regular-season appearances between San Jose and Colorado last year. He did well when facing his former team in 2024-25, posting a 2-0-0 record, 2.51 GAA and .926 save percentage in his two starts against the Sharks.
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Back in lineup Tuesday
Rotowire
Blackwood (lower body) will be the backup behind Scott Wedgewood in Tuesday's home game against New Jersey, Bailey Curtis of DNVR Sports reports.
Following a 10-game absence to begin the season, Blackwood will return to the lineup and should be back between the pipes soon. He was excellent for the Avalanche last year and could wrestle the No. 1 job away from Wedgewood after getting back into a rhythm.
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Won't travel for Tuesday's game
Rotowire
Blackwood (lower body) won't travel with the Avalanche ahead of Tuesday's game in Utah but is getting closer to returning, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports Monday.
Blackwood has missed the start of the regular season due to a lower-body injury, but he recently completed a conditioning loan at AHL Colorado. He'll miss at least one more game due to the issue, and although he's considered close to returning, it's not yet clear when he'll be officially available to make his season debut.
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Conditioning loan over
Rotowire
Blackwood's conditioning loan at AHL Colorado ended Friday.
It appears the Avalanche opted to have Blackwood practice in the minors, but they'll keep him out of game action for now. A timeline for his return to action has yet to be revealed.
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Sent to AHL for conditioning
Rotowire
Blackwood was assigned to AHL Colorado on Monday for a conditioning loan.
Blackwood could be in the minors for 14 consecutive days to get back up to game speed. He will miss his fourth straight game against Buffalo on Monday, but he is progressing toward a return to the lineup. Scott Wedgewood has been occupying the No. 1 role for the Avalanche during Blackwood's absence.
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Status uncertain for road trip
Rotowire
Blackwood (lower body) practiced Friday, but his status for the Avalanche's two-game road trip next week is yet to be determined, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.
This is a backdoor way of saying Blackwood won't be ready to suit up Saturday versus the Stars. He could also miss games Monday in Buffalo and Thursday in Columbus, but that has not been decided. Head coach Jared Bednar also indicated a conditioning stint could be possible to help Blackwood get up to speed. At this point, expect Scott Wedgewood to continue seeing significant playing time until Blackwood is cleared to return.
Blackwood (lower body) isn't available for Thursday's home game against Utah.
Blackwood also missed Colorado's season opener Tuesday due to the injury. His next opportunity to play is Saturday versus Dallas. Blackwood is expected to reclaim his role as Colorado's No. 1 netminder once he's healthy, but in the meantime, the Avalanche are likely to lean on Scott Wedgewood.
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Not traveling Tuesday
Rotowire
Blackwood (lower body) will not make the trip for Tuesday's season opener against the Kings, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.
Blackwood was expected to enter the season as the No. 1 option for the Avalanche, but instead, he will have to watch Scott Wedgewood take the Opening Night start. In his 56 regular-season games for the Sharks and Avs last year, the 28-year-old Blackwood went 28-21-6 with a .912 save percentage and 2.55 GAA. Once given the all-clear, Blackwood figures to see the bulk of the goalie starts this season.
... See More... See Less
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Progressing, may miss opener
Rotowire
Blackwood (lower body) is progressing, but he could be unavailable for Opening Night on Oct. 7 against the Kings, per Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette on Tuesday.
Blackwood has been skating and faced shots during Tuesday's on-ice session. However, he remains week-to-week due to a lower-body injury. If Blackwood isn't ready for the start of the 2025-26 campaign, Scott Wedgewood and Trent Miner could be Colorado's top two netminders.
