On the other, it was his 253rd game in the NHL. The 28-year-old had done this before.

“I mean, the way I approached the game today was the same,” he said. “Obviously, a little bit more intensity. You could feel it around the rink. But I mean, you have to go do the same job. I don’t want to change things about my game. I know what I have to do to have success, so try to just approach it like a big game and go do the best I could.”

Wedgewood said Blackwood didn’t talk much before the game.

“He was focused,” Wedgewood said. “If that’s what he wants, I’ll give him the space. If he wants to talk, I’m here for him. He knows that. So, it’s good. We’ve got each other, and I’m proud of him.”

The Stars had their chances. But Blackwood stopped captain Jamie Benn midway through the first period and forward Wyatt Johnston early in the second, each on the penalty kill. He slid to his left to stop forward Mavrik Bourque shortly before forward Artturi Lehkonen gave Colorado a 1-0 lead at 9:30 of the second.

The Avalanche had a 2-0 lead at 18:28 of the second when Johnston passed from the right wing in front for forward Sam Steel. Blackwood stoned him.

After Blackwood lost his stick on the penalty kill, center Roope Hintz deflected a point shot by defenseman Thomas Harley past him, cutting Colorado’s lead to 2-1 at 6:45 of the third. But that was it. The Avalanche blew open the game afterward.

“He was awesome,” Avalanche center Charlie Coyle said. “Every time we needed a big save, he was there to keep us tied, keep us ahead. Every step of the way, they got a chance, we had a little breakdown, and he shut the door. You need that at playoff time to win these tight games. It’s a game of inches, and he earned it. Enough can’t be said about the game he played tonight.”