Mackenzie Blackwood plays well, just not well enough, as Avalanche swept from playoffs

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar's decision to replace goaltender Scott Wedgewood with Mackenzie Blackwood for Game 4 of the Western Conference Final wasn't a bad idea, if only the backup netminder had gotten goal support.

The Vegas Golden Knights completed a 4-0 series sweep of the top-seeded Avalanche with a 2-1 win on Tuesday night and will return to the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in their nine years in the league.

The Avalanche now prepare for a long offseason. They had a dominant regular season, tying for the sixth-highest points by a Presidents’ Trophy winner with 121, going 8-1 in the first two rounds of the postseason while averaging 4.1 goals per game, and then falling flat in the conference final by averaging just 1.75 goals per game.

Though Blackwood dropped to 0-5-1 in six career appearances against the Golden Knights, he said he thought his performance was “good enough to probably get the win” after stopping 24 shots and holding the Knights to just one goal until the third period.

“Obviously, (expletive) sucks no matter how you do it," said Blackwood, when asked if it is harder to accept being swept. “I think losing like that stings a little more. Yeah, that’s going to be pretty frustrating. We are going to have a tough pill to swallow.”

The Avalanche, who were held to one goal for just the third time during the postseason and second time in this series, didn’t get a shot on goal for more than 25 minutes over the second and third periods, as the Golden Knights were deliberate with their checking.

Offensive star and assistant captain Nathan MacKinnon, who led the team with 15 points in the playoffs, finished the series without scoring one goal after netting at least one in six previous playoff games.

Martin Necas, who was second on the team with 12 points during the postseason, had just two assists against Vegas and only one goal during the entire postseason.

Gabriel Landeskog scored for Colorado, cutting Vegas’ lead in half with 2:03 left in the game.

The Avalanche managed just one shot on goal after that, from MacKinnon, but Vegas goaltender Carter Hart continued his brilliant postseason by making his 20th save of the night.

“We run into a buzz saw in Vegas ... it’s a really good hockey team, and they won,” Bednar said. “They deserve the credit, you know. It’s not a knock on our guys. I just think we played hard and didn’t find enough solutions to what they were doing in order to win the series.

“Humility is certainly a word you use for it. I think that’s sports in general. I think you’re going to run into that a lot on any given day on any given year, and especially in the playoffs, right? So, yeah, losing sucks and losing four straight is worse.”

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL

Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson (11) shoots the puck during the first period in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Colorado Avalanche center Nicolas Roy (10) and Vegas Golden Knights right wing Cole Smith (22) battle for the puck during the first period in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (39) stops a shot during the second period in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (39) stops the puck during the second period in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar looks on during the first period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, left, checks Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel during the second period in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Friday, May 22, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon lays on the ice after being injured during the second period in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Sunday, May 24, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood allows a goal by Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Johansson in the first period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

BALTIMORE (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Griffin Jax is day to day with a bruised lower back after leaving his start in a 6-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles a few batters after being hit by a 107.2 mph line drive in the second inning Tuesday night.

After the game, Jax told reporters he was “100% confident” he would feel good enough to make his next start.

“Arm feels great. Body feels great," Jax said. "Just going through some basic movements, don’t feel too limited. It’s all in all scary, but I think it was a safe place to be hit.”

With a runner on first base after a fielding error by Jax and the Rays leading 1-0, Leody Taveras hit a liner that struck the pitcher in his back. Jax immediately went down near the mound while the ball bounced to third baseman Junior Caminero, who couldn't make a diving play. Second baseman Richie Palacios recovered it, but Taveras was safe with a hit.

Meanwhile, Jax grabbed at the right side of his back while on the ground as head athletic trainer Joe Benge and manager Kevin Cash rushed to check on him. After a few moments, Jax was helped back to his feet, he threw a warmup pitch and stayed in the game.

After giving up a single to Jeremiah Jackson to load the bases, Jax struck out Colton Cowser for the first out. Blaze Alexander reached on a fielder's choice grounder that Palacios bobbled after it took a bad hop off the second base bag, tying it at 1. Jackson Holliday followed with an RBI single and Taylor Ward's sacrifice fly made it 3-1 before Jax got Gunnar Henderson on a flyout for the final out.

Garrett Cleavinger replaced Jax, who said his back was tightening with every pitch, to start the third inning. Jax (1-3) took the loss after allowing three runs — none earned — and three hits with three strikeouts on 26 pitches in his two innings.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Griffin Jax delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Griffin Jax reacts after committing a fielding error that allowed Baltimore Orioles' Samuel Basallo to reach first base during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Griffin Jax is examined by a trainer after an injury during the second inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)