DENVER, CO - For a second time this season, the Devils were bested by a former goaltender in a Colorado Avalanche uniform.
On Wednesday night, former Devil Mackenzie Blackwood made 22 saves as Colorado defeated the Devils 5-1.
Jake Allen, who manned the Devils net, gave his team every opportunity to find their footing in this game, keeping it 1-0 for most of the evening.
“He gave us a chance," head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "We were in the game because of him. We didn’t score enough for him which has unfortunately been the story when Jake has been in for too many games this year.”
Arturri Lehkonen opened the scoring with a backhand in close on Jake Allen at 8:54 of the first period to take a 1-0 lead. It wasn't until 2:57 of the third before another goal would crack the goal line.
With Luke Hughes in the box for a slashing penalty, Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon picked up a loose puck off a rebound, firing a wrist shot past Allen. MacKinnon's goal built a 2-0 lead for the Avalanche before the Devils could solve Blackwood thanks to a familial connection.
Jack Hughes won a face-off, clean, to Blackwood's right before getting the puck back to his brother Luke. With Luke buying some added time holding onto the puck, Jack found an open lane, to rip the puck past Blackwood off the one-timer from Luke. The goal was Jack's 27th of the season and pulled the Devils within one at 8:28 of the third. Luke picked up the lone assist, his 20th of the season.
The Avalanche pushed back after Jack’s goal, with MacKinnon scoring a second power-play goal, Casey Mittelstadt scoring the 4-1 goal, and Logan O’Connor adding the Avalanche’s fifth goal of the night.
Allen held the fort for so much of this game, giving his team every opportunity to even things up before the dam broke in the final five minutes of the game.
"Just gave up too much, slipped away in the third and that’s only because Jaker was standing on his head in the first two periods," Johanathan Kovacevic said. "I think we gave up a lot of Grade A opportunities and against that team, they’re dangerous, you give them enough, they’re going to find a way to put it in the net.”