Mackenzie Blackwood is off to a rousing start to his stint with the Colorado Avalanche.
The 28-year-old goaltender appears to be exactly what the doctor ordered.
Last night, he faced off against the Avs’ former starting goaltender, Alexandar Georgiev, and he showed everybody why general manager Chris MacFarland made the swap.
Blackwood faced 34 shots on Friday night against his former team, the San Jose Sharks, and he saved 32 of them.
On the other side of the ice, Georgiev faced 31 shots and saved 27 of them. Georgiev now has a .869 save percentage and 3.75 goals against average in three games with the Sharks.
Blackwood, on the other hand, has improved his numbers on his new team. He is now 2-1-0 with a .938 save percentage and 2.04 GAA.
It is fair to say if the goaltenders were flipped last night, the Avs might not have won that hockey game.
It will be difficult for Blackwood to keep up this sort of pace and it would be a historic season. The Avs have only had one netminder finish a season with above a .930 save percentage. That was David Aebischer in the 2001-02 season. He started 19 games that season while backing up Patrick Roy.
The six-foot-four goaltender has really impressed head coach Jared Bednar with all of his tools.
“The thing is it’s not just his size,” Bednar said after Blackwood’s debut. “Obviously he’s got great ability and moves really well in the net. And tonight he managed the game perfectly.”
Bednar has praised Blackwood on his ability to control the pace of the game. Goaltender is the most important position in hockey. It’s not just because they are the last line of defense but it’s also because they have the most power to control the game flow. They can cover pucks or play the puck to help out their team in the defensive zone. Bednar seems to be very impressed with the way he understands the game and what the Avalanche are trying to do.
It is clear the Avs massively upgraded their starting goaltender at exactly the right time. There are other holes this team needs to fill, but great goaltending can take you a long way in the playoffs.
