The Colorado Avalanche put up a short performance against division rival Minnesota Wild in their fourth of a five-game homestand. Nathan MacKinnon scores Colorado's lone goal in the 3-1 loss.

Blackwood stopped 23 of 27 shots in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Oilers.

Blackwood has solidified the Avalanche's crease since being acquired from the Sharks. Can he ride the momentum to a Vezina Trophy win?

Mackenzie Blackwood’s third regulation loss since joining the Avalanche was the first game he allowed more than two goals. Despite making 24 saves on 28 shots, Colorado failed to maintain a three-goal lead and lost 4-3 to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.

Some of the issues that looked fixed two days ago in a decisive win against the Dallas Stars were again troubling for the Colorado Avalanche in a loss to the Minnesota Wild.

His path from prospect to potential Vezina Trophy candidate was non-linear, and included some dark days. But, beyond some better fortune with his health, one of the biggest realizations in his development was his ability to make flashy saves was not going to make him the consistent goaltender he wanted to be.

Patrolling crease versus Oilers

Jared Bednar wasn’t happy with his team’s performance on Tuesday and made that clear postgame. But the Avalanche were still victorious, erasing a late third-period deficit before getting another overtime game-winning goal from Devon Toews.

Instead, the Avs operated with the urgency of Eeyore. And the crowd wasn’t exactly buzzing either. For long stretches, the only sound was sticks clicking the ice. Close your eyes and it was hard to tell if this was Ball Arena or a Family Sports Center practice.

It’s already been a month with Mackenzie Blackwood in Colorado. How in the world are the Montreal Canadiens doing what they’re doing? The Red Wings are also benefitting from the new coach bump and the Bruins have zero time for a radio host.

Yakov Trenin scored against his former team early in the third period, and the Minnesota Wild beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 on Monday. Jake Middleton had a goal and an assist, Brock Faber also scored and Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves for Minnesota.

But Colorado’s NHL team has long had a reputation for being a quiet bunch in the locker room, even when this group reached the top of the mountain in 2022. The 2024-25 edition started the season slow, bogged down by injuries and poor goaltending. It weighed on everyone. A generally quiet room seemed even more so at times.