The Great Wall of Blackwood

It's the second day of February. We are one week away from Super Bowl Sunday, but in the NHL, the Four Nations break is close--starting next Monday. Even with the extended gap, February is an important month in the NHL season. It's the last month before the final full month of March, so teams who are looking to become part of the NHL's Sweet 16 are itching to jockey for position. This includes the Colorado Avalanche, who are angling to move up in the Central Division. The team returned home on Friday and shut out the St. Louis Blues. For this game, it was the Philadelphia Flyers visiting Ball Arena.

Mackenzie Blackwood was in net against Samuel Ersson, and the former was busy, busy, busy. The Flyers were shooting; the Avalanche... not so much. Against St. Louis, we had 21 shots on goal in the first period. Here? Our first official shot didn't come until the 13th minute of the opening frame. We should have had a power play when an obvious trip happened, but nothing was called. Miraculously, the game remained scoreless after 20 minutes.

In the second period, the shots started to come for the Avs, and then on a two-on-one breakaway which became three-on-two, Samuel Girard made it 1-0. So that sparked things. Avs had more shots, and actually ended up surpassing Philly in that category. We received the game's first PP, and it was--who else?--Nathan MacKinnon. 20th of the season made it 2-0, and that was the score after two periods. By the third period, we were way ahead in shots, but Ersson stopped them to keep the Flyers in it. Flyers received their first power play, and with just over four minutes left in regulation, Ersson was pulled for the extra attacker. So it was 6-on-4, but the Avs managed to kill the penalty. Ersson remained on the bench, but time kept winding down. With about three seconds left, Girard retrieved the puck and shot it into the empty net, but replay showed that the puck got in after the horn. Didn't count, didn't matter.

Blackwood did it again, folks! Back-to-back shutouts in the Avalanche's home double dip, first against the Blues, and now against the Flyers. There was a time that one shutout win would be too ambitious for the Avs, yet Mackenzie Blackwood picked up back-to-back blankings! Also, Girard ended up credited with the game-winning goal, and MacKinnon's goal put him at 80 points, 20 away from another C-note season, and the first to reach 80 this season. Hopefully, this could be the start of a big streak for the Avs, and it could help us climb that Central Division ladder.

Next up is an extended five-game road trip for the Avs that will see the Four Nations break come in-between the stretch. Before the break, the Avs will play three straight in Western Canada. First off, a trip to Vancouver on Tuesday, followed by a visit to Calgary on Thursday, and heading to Edmonton on Friday. After the break, the Avs will be in Nashville on February 22, and on the following day (February 23), the Avs will be off to St. Louis. Very interesting schedule coming up for the Avalanche.

Oh, and Philly, the Flyers got shutout, and the Sixers blew a 26-point lead. Just pray that the black cloud doesn't hit the Eagles next Sunday. We're all pulling for them to end the dynasty.

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