The Colorado Avalanche have entered the 2024-25 Stanley Cup playoffs with a mix of anticipation and skepticism, particularly surrounding their starting goalie, Mackenzie Blackwood. Despite some doubts, many see promise in this team’s postseason potential.

A deep dive into Blackwood’s career reveals just a single game in the playoffs section of his stats, often due to being on teams that missed the postseason entirely or as a backup without playing time. This lack of experience in high-stakes games raises questions about his readiness for playoff pressure.

However, his recent performances have shown he’s more than capable under pressure, especially as we’ve seen contrasting starts from Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen earlier in the season.

In the opening playoff game against the Dallas Stars, Blackwood was a revelation. Playing in an arena teeming with Stars fans, he demonstrated poise and skill, turning in an outstanding performance.

While we shouldn’t crown him after one game, his ability to manage both the noise and the pressure was impressive. Watching Blackwood make jaw-dropping saves on Saturday evening confirmed that sometimes, inexperience isn’t a handicap but a clean slate ready for great moments.

His display has built confidence in Colorado’s ability to advance deep into the playoffs.

Confidence is contagious, and it appears Blackwood brought a lot of it to the ice. The Avalanche players are rallying around their goaltender now, a shift from earlier in the season when it seemed like they might have lost faith in Georgiev.

Beyond the net, Colorado’s trade acquisitions have begun to shine, addressing a much-discussed concern about depth scoring—an essential ingredient for consistent success. Martin Necas, for instance, has transitioned seamlessly onto Nathan MacKinnon’s line. While he didn’t register a shot on goal in Saturday’s game, he did log an assist, adding to his totals of 11 goals and 17 assists over 30 games with the team this season.

Charlie Coyle is making his mark as well. Although his goal tally stands at two in 19 games since joining the Avalanche, his positioning and play-making ability haven’t gone unnoticed. Coyle is a player who seems to have the knack for finding the shooting lane, evident from his career 189 shots on goal.

Finally, Brock Nelson has been a solid addition as a second-line center since his move from the New York Islanders. His regular-season face-off win rate of 52.1 percent underlines his value in controlling play in crucial moments.

As the Avalanche look to advance, they’ll rely heavily on these newer players to step up alongside their stars. If they’re to provide Blackwood the support he needs, the team must take charge offensively. The upcoming three games will be telling, and the hope in Colorado is that they can secure victory and move confidently into the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.