Florida Panthers get a huge advantage over the Avalanche as a key player goes down

Colorado comes in riding a 10-game win streak and a 13-game points streak, the kind of heater that turns every opponent into a measuring stick. Florida does not need extra drama right now.

On Saturday in Raleigh, the Avalanche were down 3-1 entering the third and still beat the Hurricanes 5-3. MacKinnon posted four points, and Brock Nelson struck twice on the power play to flip it.

Even the goaltending story feels unfair for opponents. Mackenzie Blackwood has been elite at 13-1-1 with a .924 save percentage and a 2.07 goals-against average in 16 appearances, even though he is currently on injured reserve.

Even with all that firepower up front, Mackenzie Blackwood is the piece that makes Colorado feel «complete.» When he's healthy, he doesn't just make saves, he erases the kind of mistakes that happen when the Avalanche play fast and take risks. That matters because Colorado's style is built on pressure and pace, and that style naturally gives up a few odd-man looks the other way.

Blackwood has been huge in those moments. A goalie running a .924 save percentage and a 2.07 goals-against average isn't just «hot,» he's stealing the thin slices of a game, the rebound control, the calm freezes, the big stop right after a turnover that keeps the bench believing. It lets Colorado keep pushing offense without feeling like every breakdown is going in.

Sergei Bobrovsky is still an elite goalie, and if there's one place Florida can actually tilt this matchup, it's in the crease. When Bobrovsky is locked in, he can shut down Colorado's rush looks and those deadly second chances around the blue paint, which forces the Avalanche to work harder for every goal.

With Mackenzie Blackwood hurt, the Avs lose their top stabilizer. If Florida can keep the slot cleaner than they did in the Winter Classic and let Bobrovsky see pucks, he gives the Panthers a real chance to steal momentum.

The Panthers are also dealing with the same theme that keeps popping up, health. Seth Jones leaving early after taking a deflected puck near the collarbone is the last thing this blue line needed.

If Jones cannot go, Florida loses a stabilizer who can eat hard minutes and keep the puck moving north. The power play also loses a calm quarterback touch at the top.

To beat Colorado, the Panthers have to win the first pass battle and keep the neutral zone tight. If MacKinnon gets clean entries with speed, it turns into chaos shifts and long defensive-zone shifts.

Discipline matters too, because Nelson just showed how fast Colorado can cash in when you hand them power plays.

Here is the good news, a win here would be a real confidence shot, not a fake January high. If the Panthers can play their style for sixty minutes against this opponent, it sets a standard for the second half.