Mackenzie Blackwood's Shutout, Special Teams Success Lead Avalanche Past Red Wings 4-0

Saturday Shutout

Mackenzie Blackwood made 27 saves and Martin Necas posted a four-point game to help the Avalanche defeat the Detroit Red Wings 4-0 at Ball Arena on Saturday on Hockey Fights Cancer Night, presented by UCHealth. Necas scored twice, while MacKinnon and Makar both posted a power-play goal and two assists for the Avalanche. Overall, Colorado's special teams were fantastic, with the power play scoring three times and the penalty kill going 3/3.

Tonight, we just kind of built off last game and tried to play the right way," Blackwood said. "We didn’t have a horrible first period, we just didn’t generate a ton. And then as the game went on, [the] second period was great and then the third. So, I thought we did a great job responding tonight.”

With the win, the Avalanche improved to 10-6-2.

How It Happened

Blackwood was outstanding in the first period. He made 13 saves, including several grade-A stops, highlighted by him denying J.T. Compher's chance from the low slot at 16:36 of the frame and John Leonard's shot from the right doorstep at 16:37.

The Avalanche opened the scoring on the power play at 9:46 of the middle frame when Necas scored his eighth goal of the season via a shot from the right doorstep after picking up a loose puck created by T.J. Hughes' shot.

MacKinnon doubled Colorado's lead on the power play at 12:30 of the second period with his 10th goal of the season via a left-circle one-timer.

Colorado extended its lead to three at 7:15 of the third period when Necas scored his second goal of the game and ninth of the season by cleaning up a rebound from below the right goal line.

Makar gave the Avs a 4-0 lead on the power play at 9:45 of the third period with his fifth goal of the season via a shot from the top of the right circle.

Blackwood kept the Avs' shutout intact with a huge save on Viktor Arvidsson's left-circle shot off the rush at 12:16 of the third period.

Next Up

The Avalanche begins a stretch of four consecutive road contests with a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday at 5 p.m. MST on Altitude, Altitude+, Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM and the Altitude Sports Radio App.