Avalanche Shuffle Lineup, Blackwood Starts as Manson Returns for Game 4 vs. Wild

The Colorado Avalanche made a bold move ahead of Game 4 in their second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Wild, opting to start goalie Mackenzie Blackwood for the first time in nearly a month. This decision comes on the heels of a disappointing 5-1 loss in Game 3, where Blackwood had stepped in for Scott Wedgewood.

In addition to the change in net, the Avalanche’s lineup saw several adjustments among the skaters. Notably, defenseman Josh Manson returned to the ice after recovering from an upper-body injury sustained during the first round against the Los Angeles Kings. Manson’s experience will be invaluable; he posted a career-best plus-42 rating during the regular season and is expected to bolster the Avalanche’s defensive efforts.

However, the Avalanche will be without first-line left wing Artturi Lehkonen, who is also sidelined due to an upper-body injury. Captain Gabriel Landeskog is set to step up, moving to the left wing alongside star center Nathan MacKinnon. This shuffle aims to maintain offensive pressure against the Wild.

Valeri Nichushkin has been reassigned to the third line, where he will join Nazem Kadri, while Logan O’Connor takes the opposite wing. Additionally, Ross Colton and Nicolas Roy have been elevated to the second line to flank center Brock Nelson. Joel Kiviranta returns from a five-game absence, taking O’Connor’s previous spot on the fourth line, which will be centered by Jack Drury.

During the regular season, Wedgewood and Blackwood split time in net, contributing to the Avalanche winning the William M. Jennings Trophy for the league’s best goals against average. Wedgewood, who had a breakout season and went 6-0 in the playoffs before struggling in Game 3, was replaced after allowing three goals early in the second period. Blackwood, who played the entire first-round series against the Dallas Stars last year, now has a chance to make his mark in these playoffs.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.