It’s become a pattern now — the Colorado Avalanche look like the better team for the better part of the first 40 minutes and then the final period is a problem.

Blackwood made 33 saves in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Rangers. Despite the fast-paced nature of the contest, the 28-year-old netminder helped keep Colorado in the driver's seat for the majority of the game.

Colorado Avalanche netminder Mackenzie Blackwood has a 2.41 goals against average this season and made 27 saves in a 3-2 victory over the Rangers two weeks ago

His path from prospect to potential Vezina Trophy candidate was non-linear, and included some dark days. But, beyond some better fortune with his health, one of the biggest realizations in his development was his ability to make flashy saves was not going to make him the consistent goaltender he wanted to be.

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.

Blackwood stopped 23 of 27 shots in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Oilers.

Isles finish homestand with a record of 5-2-0, winning five straight games and lifting their overall record to two games over NHL-.500 for the first time all season

The Colorado Avalanche (29-20-2) close out their three-game road trip against the New York Islanders (21-20-7) on Tuesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 5:38 p.m. MT. READ MORE: Did Mikko Rantanen Force Chris MacFarland’s Hand?

NEW YORK (AP) — Simon Holmstrom scored twice and added an assist, and Ilya Sorokin made 30 saves to lead the New York Islanders to a 5-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night. Bo Horvat, Anders Lee and Alexander Romanov also scored for New York, which has won five-in-a-row.

Jack Drury, one of the key acquisitions in the Colorado Avalanche's major trade last week with the Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago Blackhawks, scored his first goal in his new uniform as his club outlasted the New York Rangers 5-4 on Sunday afternoon.

The New York Islanders (22-20-7) won their fifth straight game and defeated the Colorado Avalanche (29-21-2) 5-2 on Tuesday night in UBS Arena.

Artturi Lehkonen scored the tiebreaking goal with 14.7 seconds left and Mackenzie Blackwood made 33 saves and the Colorado Avalanche defeated the New York Rangers 5-4 on Sunday.