Avalanche-Stars Game 1 slapshots: If Mackenzie Blackwood is going to play like this, Western Conference is in trouble

Instant reaction from the Avalanche’s 5-1 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of their first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series.

1. No Captain, my Captain: Gabe Landeskog’s NHL return will have to wait … for at least two more days. Just a week after the Captain returned to the ice in a pair of AHL games with the Colorado Eagles, there was anticipation that Landy would be in the lineup for Game 1 against the Stars. Jared Bednar even played coy at the morning skate, telling reporters, “You’ll have to watch and see.” Instead, Landeskog watched just like the rest of us — albeit from a luxury box. Given what transpired down below, he’s gotta like what he sees. After more than 1,000 days of waiting, what’s a couple more days? Especially with a 1-0 series lead.

2. Blackwood’s playoff debut: So much for the “Mackenzie Black needs playoff experience” storyline. The first shot the Avalanche netminder saw in his first Stanley Cup Playoffs start was a point-blank attempt from Roope Hintz. Blackwood turned that away, then proceeded to stand on his head during a first-period Dallas power play. The second period was more of the same, as the 28-year-old stopped a barrage of shots before the Avs went the other way and Artturi Lehkonen scored against a clearly gassed Stars quad for a 1-0 lead. The Stars finally beat Blackwood on a Hintz deflection on the power play in the third period, but he was missing his stick after a scramble in front of the net. Only the harshest of critics would’ve deemed the goal soft. One blip on an otherwise solid night. If this is what the Avs are going to get from Blackwood all postseason, the Stars are in trouble.

3. Luck of the draw?: You could classify the Avs’ first two goals as fluky. Lehkonen may not have meant to kick the puck into the net while falling to the ice, but that’s what happened. And Nathan MacKinnon’s tally a few minutes later got past Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger only because it ricocheted off a defender’s legs. Nevertheless, it’s hard to argue the Avs didn’t deserve to win this one. Lucky bounces or not, both players were in dangerous spots to score those goals. And Colorado got into dangerous spots often against a Stars team that entered the playoffs on a seven-game losing streak. The Josh Manson-to-Devon Toews putaway goal with 7:04 remaining served as testament to that. For the Avs, it might be as simple as this: Keep the Dallas power play off the ice, and things will be just fine.

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