Avalanche lineup changes paid off with a Game 4 win over the Wild.
Artturi Lehkonen and Sam Malinski were both out with upper-body injuries, causing head coach Jared Bednar to make some adjustments.
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Josh Manson returned from injury, and Jack Ahcan slid into the bottom D-pair with Brent Burns. Gabriel Landeskog moved up to the top line while Ross Colton and Nicolas Roy shifted to the second line with Brock Nelson. Valeri Nichushkin moved down to the third with Nazem Kadri and Logan O’Connor. Joel Kiviranta returned from injury to join the fourth line with Parker Kelly and Jack Drury.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves in his first playoff start this season.
“He was great. He went in the net and did exactly what I was hoping he would do,” Bednar said.
Mile High Sports’ Colleen Flynn reviews who scored and more in “Wake the Puck Up.”
