Avalanche Survive Home Opener Behind Wedgewood's Heroics
DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche opened their home schedule with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the visiting Utah Mammoth on Thursday night, thanks in large part to a stellar performance from backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood.
Key Moments
The Avalanche struggled to generate offense for long stretches, failing to record a shot for over 14 minutes in the second period. But Wedgewood stood tall, turning aside 32 of 33 shots, including several key saves on Mammoth breakaways in the third period.
"I don't know if you can call him a backup," said Avalanche center Jack Drury. "That was, wow — unbelievable the way he played tonight. That one glove save (in the third) was one of the best saves I've ever seen."
Colorado finally broke through early in the third when superstar Nathan MacKinnon scored a power-play goal to put the Avalanche ahead 2-1. It proved to be the game-winner, as Wedgewood and the defense held on down the stretch.
Player Impact
Wedgewood was the clear star of the night, bailing out his sluggish teammates with a virtuoso effort in net. The veteran netminder made several highlight-reel stops to preserve the narrow victory.
On the offensive end, MacKinnon continued his dominant play, potting the decisive goal. The Avalanche's top line, which also features Cale Makar and Gabriel Landeskog, generated several quality chances but were largely held in check by the Mammoth defense.
What's Next
The Avalanche will look to build on this opening-night triumph when they host the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. Colorado is aiming to get off to a strong start as they begin their quest to defend their Stanley Cup championship.
Meanwhile, the Mammoth will try to rebound from the narrow defeat when they visit the Dallas Stars on Sunday. Utah put up a good fight against one of the league's elite teams and will hope to carry that effort into their next outing.
TL;DR
- Avalanche backup goalie Scott Wedgewood was the hero, making 32 saves in a 2-1 win over the Utah Mammoth
- Nathan MacKinnon scored the game-winning goal early in the third period for Colorado
- The Avalanche offense was sluggish at times, but the defense and Wedgewood's brilliance secured the victory
- Colorado will look to build on this opening-night triumph when they host the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday
- Utah will aim to rebound from the narrow defeat when they visit the Dallas Stars on Sunday