Sports
Avalanche’s Scott Wedgewood Steals Show in Home Opener Victory

DENVER, Colorado — The Colorado Avalanche narrowly defeated the Utah Mammoth 2-1 in their home opener Thursday night, thanks in large part to goaltender Scott Wedgewood‘s standout performance.
Wedgewood, who is stepping in as the starting goalie while Mackenzie Blackwood recovers from an injury, stopped 31 of 32 shots, including several critical saves during breakaway opportunities. His play was pivotal in securing the win at Ball Arena.
“I mean, second period I made some saves that we needed, and it’s kind of my job, right? Keep the puck out of the net and give the guys a chance,” Wedgewood said after the game.
Colorado opened the scoring midway through the first period with a well-executed play by its third line. Victor Olofsson made a cross-ice pass to Jack Drury, who quickly set up Ross Colton for the opening goal.
The Avalanche’s momentum faltered in the second period where the Mammoth held the home team without a shot for over 14 minutes. Despite this drought, Wedgewood made crucial saves to keep Colorado in the lead. A late goal by Dylan Guenther tied the game heading into the third period.
The Avalanche responded quickly in the third, taking advantage of an early penalty by Utah. On a power play, Cale Makar found a streaking Nathan MacKinnon, who scored, regaining the lead for Colorado. From there, Wedgewood’s remarkable saves sealed the victory.
Head Coach Jared Bednar commended Wedgewood’s performance, stating, “We don’t win without him tonight, for sure.”
Looking ahead, Colorado faces a tougher challenge against the Dallas Stars on Saturday. Despite two wins to start the season, Bednar emphasized the need for improvement in their overall execution.
“The execution five-on-five with the puck has not been good for the first two games,” Bednar said.