Second-Line Shine: Jackets Hung Up by Visiting Avs

Colorado's 2nd-line shows up, Wedgewood shows out.

So far this season, the Colorado Avalanche have played 305 minutes of actual hockey, plus a shootout. That’s five full games, plus the entirety of the five-minute overtime period against the Stars.

Scott Wedgewood has been between the pipes for the Avs for 304 minutes and 45 seconds… or 99.9% of the time. And in that stretch, he has been outstanding, allowing only a single goal in all four wins and the four against Dallas in the shootout loss in which he still helped his team to a point.

We’ve seen the negative effects of goaltender overuse during the regular season come back to bite teams in the ass in the postseason before (Hello, Winnipeg!). But Colorado’s early reliance on Wedgewood doesn’t pose the same long-term threat to a playoff situation that others have… (again: hi, Winnipeg).

That’s because this other-worldly play by Colorado’s current No. 1 is coming from its presumed No. 2. Jared Bednar knows he’s running Wedgewood every night with Mackenzie Blackwood expected back soon. A healthy Blackwood is likely the true No. 1 for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, but until then, Wedgewood has taken the net and absolutely run with it.