Avalanche HC Jared Bednar admits Scott Wedgewood's struggles give him 'decision to make' in series against Wild

Colorado Avalanche goalie Scott Wedgewood may be out of the net for Game 4 against the Minnesota Wild on Monday (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET).

Colorado pulled Wedgewood for Mackenzie Blackwood in the second period of its 5-1 loss in Game 3 at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minn., on Saturday night. He allowed three goals on 12 shots. Blackwood, meanwhile, allowed one goal on 13 shots and had 12 saves. After that performance, Colorado head coach Jared Bednar may keep Blackwood in the lineup for Game 4.

Jared Bednar discusses the potential goalie change 

"We'll have a decision to make, but there's a decision to make every night," the coach said in a postgame news conference (h/t ESPN's Ryan S. Clark). "You know, some are easier than others. I thought Blackwood was good. ...So, yeah, we'll talk about it and make a decision." 

Blackwood hadn't played since April 14, entering Saturday night. Despite the hiatus, he insists he's sharp enough to start a playoff game. 

"You never know [when a goalie could come in]. I've seen games where they score on the first three shots of the game and then nothing the rest of the night," Blackwood said. "You never really know how it's going to go. You're just trying to be ready if you go, do the best you can, help your team and cheer on the other guy." 

Would putting Mackenzie Blackwood back in the starting lineup be the right decision?

Putting Blackwood back into the starting role may be rash for Bednar. Wedgewood was the better goalie throughout the regular season and has looked solid for most of the Stanley Cup playoffs. 

During the regular season, Wedgewood had a 31-6-6 record, ranked first in the NHL in goals-against average (2.02) and save percentage (.921). Blackwood, meanwhile, went 23-10-2, ranked eighth in the league in goals-against average (2.51) and tied for 18th in save percentage (.904).

Wedgewood allowed five goals and posted a .950 save percentage in Colorado's first-round sweep of the Los Angeles Kings. In three games against Minnesota, however, he has surrendered 11 goals and logged a .839 save percentage. 

A potent Minnesota squad that features star defenseman Quinn Hughes could continue to exploit a struggling goalie. Entering Sunday, the Wild and Avalanche were tied for first in the playoffs in goals per game (four). 

Pulling Wedgewood is a risky move for the Avalanche, but it should be one the team considers. If he keeps floundering in Game 4, that increases the Wild's chances of evening the best-of-seven series at 2-2 and turning the momentum in their favor.