Aside from a significant loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Scott Wedgewood won five consecutive games and has performed well against tough opponents.
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“Played fantastic in Dallas, got us a win, won five straight. He’s the guy to go with right now, in my opinion,” head coach Jared Bednar said.
The 33-year-old netminder jokingly blamed his performance in Monday night’s loss to the Quebec Nordiques jersey.
“For whatever reason, I feel like I’m the worst goalie in the league with Nordiques gear on this year, and one of the best without it. So just a mental hurdle,” Wedgewood said.
Bednar pulled Wedgewood after allowing three goals on five shots in the first period. Mackenzie Blackwood took over, and he allowed four goals on 15 shots. But Bednar did not lay blame on Wedgewood for the team’s loss.
“Hockey happens. Things are going really good there for a bit for me and playing. Humble pie, take a slice of it, go back to work. Nothing you can do about it,” Wedgewood said.
Despite the “disaster,” as Bednar referred to it, the Avs did not have time to wallow in pity. The condensed schedule means a quick turnaround. The team needed to get prepared for a crucial division rival matchup with the Dallas Stars on Wednesday.
“The game’s quick. It’s going to happen. Unfortunately, we gave them more than what they gave us, and they obviously capitalized on it,” Wedgewood said. “But that’s one of those nights. You can say you’re going to hate yourself for two weeks on it, or get a day between and you go again.”
Is goaltending a concern at this point?
While strong goaltending has been a key factor in the Avalanche’s success this season, a few losses have raised some concern.
Looking past the debacle vs the Pens, Wedgewood has been the better goaltender, as of late. But Bednar is not overly worried about Blackwood slipping in the last few games.
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“I’m always concerned with any player that’s not playing up to the standard that we feel like, where they can play, or we’ve seen them play,” Bednar said. “The goal is to have everyone peaking at the right time, at the end of the year. Players go through ups and downs through the season. That’s something that they have to work through, that we have to work through and help them through … So whenever someone’s not playing well, we’re always a little bit concerned about it.”
Blackwood has struggled a few other times this season to get back in his groove. He needs a significant victory to gain confidence and prove his ability.
Until then, Wedgewood has kept the Avs in it. But it is a big weight on his shoulders for the playoff-style game expected against the Stars Wednesday night.
