Avalanche Crushes Predators with a Solid Performance by Blackwood
Mackenzie Blackwood shone with 35 saves, leading the Colorado Avalanche to a dominant 3-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.
Brent Burns scored early in the game, followed by empty-net goals from Nathan MacKinnon and Jack Drury to secure the Avalanche’s victory. This win extends Colorado’s winning streak to eight consecutive games, marking their best performance since the nine-game winning streak achieved between March 4 and March 24, 2024.
The Avalanche consolidate their position as the team with the best record in the NHL, leading by five points over the Carolina Hurricanes, who are in second place.
Juuse Saros, Predators’ goalie, made 23 saves, but couldn’t prevent his team’s defeat, which has lost seven of its last eight games. This match marked the Predators’ return to North America after playing two games of the Global Series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Stockholm, Sweden. The Predators suffered their second consecutive shutout.
The shutout was the first of the season and the 15th of Blackwood’s career. Despite being outshot by the Avalanche in the first period (16-6), the Predators failed to overcome Blackwood’s solid defense.
The first goal of the match came just 15 seconds after the start, courtesy of Brent Burns.
After a dispute in the right corner, the puck reached Burns, who from the right circle connected a wrist shot that beat Saros.
The score remained at 1-0 until MacKinnon scored an empty-net goal with 1:35 remaining in the third period, with Saros out of the net for an extra attacker. Drury added another empty-net goal with 51 seconds left.
MacKinnon has scored three goals in his last two games.
Cale Makar, Colorado defenseman, failed to register any points in an away game for the first time this season.
This was only the fifth game of the season in which an opponent outshot the Avalanche. Colorado maintains a perfect record of 5-0-0 in those meetings.
Blackwood frustrated Nashville’s Michael McCarron with a crucial save at 5:47 of the third period, keeping the Predators scoreless.
Predators captain Roman Josi returned to the lineup after missing 12 games due to an upper-body injury.
