ST. PAUL, Minn. — For the first time during their playoff run, the Colorado Avalanche switched goaltenders mid-game Saturday night, benching Scott Wedgewood early in the second period after Minnesota scored three times in their second-round NHL playoff matchup.
Minnesota dominated the contest, winning 5-1 and giving Colorado their first defeat of the current postseason.
“I thought Wedgie was playing hard. I think maybe he looked a little like too aggressive on a couple of those,” coach Jared Bednar said. “It just felt like they had all the momentum and the steam early in that game, and we needed to do something to kind of get our guys fired up and going, and I was hoping that would be part of it.”
Wedgewood recorded nine saves before being replaced by Mackenzie Blackwood, who hadn’t seen game action since April 14. During the regular season, both netminders shared duties with Wedgewood earning 43 starts and Blackwood getting 36, leading to their team receiving the William M. Jennings Trophy for best goals against average.
Despite being a career backup, Wedgewood capitalized on Blackwood’s early-season injury and finished the regular season leading all goalies with a .921 save percentage and 2.02 goals against average. He entered Saturday’s game with a perfect 6-0 playoff record, posting a 2.12 goals against average and .923 save percentage.
However, defensive lapses and undisciplined penalties by his teammates created difficult situations for Wedgewood.
Kirill Kaprizov found the net during four-on-four play after Colorado’s Parker Kelly and Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman received matching roughing penalties for fighting.
A hooking penalty against defenseman Devon Toews then gave Minnesota extended four-on-three power play time, which Quinn Hughes capitalized on with a skillful toe-drag goal from the slot area, maneuvering from the left wing into open space in the middle.
Early in the second period, with Minnesota again on the power play following Kelly’s holding penalty against Hughes, Hartman deflected an airborne puck to make the score 3-0, prompting Bednar to make the goaltending change.
Blackwood, who started every game in last year’s first-round series when Colorado fell to Dallas in seven games, stopped 12 shots in relief.
Bednar remained noncommittal about his starting goaltender for Monday’s Game 4 in Minnesota.
“We’ll have a decision to make, but there’s a decision to make every night. Some of them are easier than others,” Bednar said.
Minnesota has also juggled their goaltending situation this postseason. After rookie Jesper Wallstedt led the Wild past Dallas in the opening round, he naturally started this series. Following a wild 9-6 opening game loss, coach John Hynes turned to Filip Gustavsson for Game 2.
Gustavsson, who served as the team’s main goaltender for three seasons and made 49 regular season starts compared to Wallstedt’s 33, struggled in Tuesday’s 5-2 defeat. This led Hynes to return to Wallstedt for Game 3, a decision that paid off as the rookie made 35 saves.
“I had no doubt he was going to be back — just kind of who he is,” Hynes said. “He’s a competitor. He’s got confidence. He’s been very solid, and I just thought he got right back to his game tonight. He’s proven throughout the playoffs that the moments don’t get too big for him.”
