The Colorado Avalanche absolutely dominated the Detroit Red Wings Saturday night, laying down a 4-0 shutout masterclass. Mackenzie Blackwood was a brick wall in net, Martin Necas bagged four points, and the whole squad looked dialed in. Meanwhile, for our Emerald City faithful, the Seattle Kraken took a tough 4-3 loss against the New York Rangers. It was a mixed bag night for hockey across the league, but let’s dive into what made the Avs look so terrifying.
Blackwood Steals the Show, Necas Delivers a Clinic
Mackenzie Blackwood was simply unbelievable, making 27 saves and locking down his first shutout of the season, which is also the 18th of his career. Dude was seeing beach balls out there. On offense, Martin Necas was on another level, racking up two goals and two assists for a massive four-point night. And it wasn’t just him: Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each chipped in with a goal and two assists. The Avs’ power play was just brutal, too. Necas kicked things off with a rebound goal at 9:46 in the second period on their third power play of the game. Less than three minutes later, MacKinnon made it 2-0 with a one-timer, his tenth goal of the season, on yet another power play. Necas then got his second of the night at 7:15 in the third, and Makar iced it with Colorado’s third power-play goal just two and a half minutes later. When that kind of firepower is clicking on special teams, forget about it.
Old Rivalry, New Reality
The Red Wings actually started aggressive, firing off 13 of the first 14 shots in the first period, forcing Blackwood to make some huge early saves. Daniil Tarasov in Detroit’s net stopped 25 shots himself, keeping it scoreless for a while. But the Avs just kept coming, getting some high-quality chances late in the first and then breaking through in the second. Detroit was stuck on 13 shots until midway through the second period, even killing off two Colorado penalties before the floodgates opened. It’s wild to think this used to be one of the fiercest rivalries in the league, with five Stanley Cup titles traded between 1996 and 2002. But since Detroit moved to the Eastern Conference, it’s totally cooled down. The Avs have been perennial title contenders since 2020, even winning it all in 2022, while the Red Wings are stuck in an 11-season playoff drought. Avs coach Jared Bednar even hit his 800th career game, all behind the Colorado bench, and he’s already got 455 wins, ranking him fifth through 800 games. That’s some serious consistency.
What a statement game for the Avs, and a reminder of how tough this league is for everyone else. They’re off to Toronto on Tuesday night, looking to keep that momentum rolling. The Red Wings have to figure things out fast before they head to St. Louis, also on Tuesday. For our Kraken, that 4-3 loss to the Rangers stings, but it’s still early, and they’ve got to bounce back. Every game counts, and we know our guys will come ready to fight. Let’s go Kraken!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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