Mackenzie Blackwood

Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood combined to backstop one of the league's most dominant defensive efforts during the regular season, a partnership that's quietly become one of the story lines of 2025-26. When your goaltending tandem is this good, it changes how you approach every game and every decision in the front office. The question now is whether this level of play holds up when the stakes get higher and the opposition gets better.

Colorado has the hardware, but the goaltending conversation is not going away just because the trophy case got a little heavier. Mackenzie Blackwood remains under the microscope, and the Avalanche know the margin between good enough and championship-level is thinner than most fans think. When a team is built to contend, even a strong season can still leave the front office wanting a more reliable answer in net.

Jared Bednar didn't shy away from the truth after the Avalanche's humiliating Game 3 loss to the Wild, admitting their effort was far from what it needed to be. The coach's candid take on the team's performance in the blowout has sparked heated debates among fans and analysts about the Avs' playoff readiness. With the series hanging by a thread, Bednar knows the team must find a way to regroup before facing another dominant opponent.