Blackwood stopped 22 of 25 shots in Wednesday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Jets. The Jets' first two goals came on a tip and a deflection before Neal Pionk sealed their win with a slap shot in overtime.

The Colorado Avalanche, perennial Stanley Cup contenders, are at a pivotal juncture in the 2024-25 NHL season. With the recent acquisition of goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood and ongoing speculation about a potential trade for Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones, the Avalanche’s odds of winning the Stanley Cup have improved.

The 2024-25 NHL regular season is half over but it's already been busy in the trade market. Twenty deals have gone down with notable players like

Blackwood has solidified the Avalanche's crease since being acquired from the Sharks. Can he ride the momentum to a Vezina Trophy win?

For Mackenzie Blackwood, boring is better. Blackwood is one of the best athletes in the NHL, regardless of position. His athleticism allows him to make jaw-dropping, how-did-he-get-that-one saves.

Instead, the Avs operated with the urgency of Eeyore. And the crowd wasn’t exactly buzzing either. For long stretches, the only sound was sticks clicking the ice. Close your eyes and it was hard to tell if this was Ball Arena or a Family Sports Center practice.

Winnipeg stands to both rebound and take advantage of a top-heavy Colorado lineup. My Jets vs. Avalanche predictions and NHL picks expect the road underdogs to bark loudest in tonight’s Central Division showdown.

Elvis Merzlikins and the Blue Jackets remain in a playoff spot, making Columbus' King a solid option on a holiday Monday in the US

Early returns: Utah made a high-risk trade for Sergachev — in terms of acquisition cost and with the seven seasons left on his contract at an $8.5 million cap hit, especially coming off an injury-plagued year. It’s too early to make a long-term read on the trade, but the early dividends have been promising.

Mackenzie Blackwood only let in one goal on the one-month anniversary of the day he was traded to the Avalanche. And the team playing in front of him — the one that feels confident with the new goalie manning the crease — scored six times against a divisional rival sitting ahead of them in the Central.

Logan Cooley scored a power-play goal 57 seconds into the second period to give Utah a 3-2 lead. Matias Maccelli scored twice in the opening period and notched his third two-goal game of the season as Utah dropped to 2-8-2 in its past 12 contests.

Jared Bednar wasn’t happy with his team’s performance on Tuesday and made that clear postgame. But the Avalanche were still victorious, erasing a late third-period deficit before getting another overtime game-winning goal from Devon Toews.