Blackwood, Georgiev face former teams as Avalanche and Sharks face off after swapping goaltenders

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — It didn’t take long before goalies Mackenzie Blackwood and Alexandar Georgiev found themselves at opposite ends of the ice to stop their former teammates’ shots.

Blackwood and Georgiev, traded last week, started in net for the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks, respectively, on Thursday night. The deal also sent Givani Smith and a fifth-round pick to San Jose, as well as Nikolai Kovalenko and two draft picks to Colorado. Both Smith and Kovalenko were on the ice for Colorado’s 4-2 victory.

Blackwood took over the game against the goalkeepers, making 32 saves. Georgiev stopped 27 shots for the Sharks.

The Avalanche goalie said he settled in right away and enjoyed the game.

“Obviously you have a lot of friends there, but at the end of the day it’s still a hockey game,” Blackwood explained. “You have to go out there and do your job.”

Blackwood resurrected his career with the Sharks, who acquired him from the New Jersey Devils for a sixth-round pick in June 2023. He had a 3.45 goals-against average with a .899 save percentage in 44 games for a struggling San Jose team. last season, and had a 3.00 GAA and .909 save percentage in 19 games with the team this season.

The goaltender received applause from Sharks fans during his presentation.

He credited San Jose general manager Mike Grier, a Devils assistant coach when Blackwood was there, for giving him a chance after the goaltender was hampered by injuries in New Jersey.

“When I got healthy, he believed in me and brought me in and gave me a chance to play,” Blackwood said before the game. “I turned around, improved my game and got back on track. He played a big role in giving me the opportunity to do that.

Despite only spending just over a season with the Sharks, Blackwood said his former teammates are “still like brothers” to him, highlighting the bond they developed in a short time . Blackwood, a pending free agent, was reportedly interested. in signing an extension with the Sharks, but said the rebuilding team was “not in the same place as me and my career.”

Blackwood, 28, went from the worst team in the NHL last season to a Colorado club with Stanley Cup aspirations that got off to a slow start this season — in part because of goaltending issues. The Avalanche, who entered the day tied for the second wild card in the Western Conference, used four goalies through the first 30 games.

Among them was Georgiev, who led the league in wins last season and was 86-41-11 with the Avalanche. But he struggled to start this season. In addition to trading Georgiev, Colorado also dealt backup Justus Annunen to Nashville for goaltender Scott Wedgewood on November 30.

Georgiev said Thursday night’s game was “a little weird” because he knew his former teammates’ tendencies, which he said isn’t always a good thing because he didn’t want too much. ‘engage.

“It wasn’t too emotional,” Georgiev said. “I just tried to play it like any normal game, without committing too much and just enjoying it. It’s also fun to play against these guys. They buzz. They’re a very fast team.”

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said before the game that Blackwood has been “fantastic” so far, and that he and Wedgewood are both veterans who feel comfortable in their own skin and are “a little more extroverted than our two previous goalkeepers”. .”

Colorado is 6-3 since trading for Wedgewood, with Blackwood entering the mix two weeks later. Avalanche forward Ross Colton said Blackwood “brought some confidence” to the team.

“Both of them were awesome,” Colton said. “They are also excellent in the locker room. Just being in the room makes you feel different, which is a good thing.

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