LAS VEGAS — Colorado manager Jared Bednar announced Mackenzie Blackwood volition regenerate Scott Wedgewood successful nett for Game 4 connected Tuesday, arsenic the Avalanche anticipation to stave disconnected elimination successful the Western Conference Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Vegas won the archetypal 2 games successful Denver earlier taking a 3-0 bid pb with Sunday’s come-from-behind 5-3 triumph astatine home.
Blackwood, a second-round draught prime by the New Jersey Devils successful 2015, volition look successful conscionable his 11th vocation playoff game. The 29-year-old is 4-4-0 with a vocation .888 prevention percent successful the postseason with a 2.81 goals-against average.
Blackwood appeared successful 3 games (one start) during the 2nd round, going 1-0 against the Minnesota Wild with a .872 prevention percent and a 3.20 goals-against average.
“It’s not similar we’re putting the value of the bid connected Mackenzie, right?” Bednar said. “I deliberation Mackenzie’s the benignant of feline and goalie that plays amended erstwhile he’s escaped and confident, and he’s been doing the enactment to marque definite that he’s acceptable and prepared.
“We’re astatine 0-3 successful the series, truthful it’s not a desperation move, it’s conscionable you’ve got to marque a alteration and spot if thing other works for me.”
Blackwood is 0-4-1 successful 5 vocation appearances against the Golden Knights, with an .877 prevention percent and 3.63 goals-against average.
Also, Bednar said violative prima and adjunct skipper Nathan MacKinnon volition play, arsenic helium appeared to determination overmuch amended during greeting skate, little than 2 days aft taking a slap changeable to his genu successful Game 3.
Bednar said helium felt the team’s intelligence authorities is successful the close spot with a “nothing to lose” mindset.
“There’s a looseness astir our squad this morning, and hoping that tin bash america immoderate bully and escaped america up to spell play to our individuality tonight,” Bednar said. “I similar the vigor successful our room, I similar the vibe astir the team. We had a bully gathering yesterday, touched up connected a fewer things this greeting connected video.
“I’m assured that we’ll beryllium acceptable to travel retired (and) effort to amended our show from the different night.”
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