SAN JOSE — Mackenzie Blackwood faced Macklin Celebrini plenty of times in practice when they were both playing for the San Jose Sharks.
But it’s a little different when the puck drops and the 18-year-old wunderkind is skating toward you in a game situation.
Blackwood and his new team, the Colorado Avalanche, discovered that firsthand on Thursday night at SAP Center. Though the Avs won 4-2 and Celebrini was held without a point, his impact was felt throughout the contest.
Never more so than in the second period, when Celebrini pulled off an exceptional move on Colorado defenseman Samuel Girard. While jockeying for position along the boards near the goal line, Celebrini bounced the puck off the boards behind his back and recovered it on the other side of his body, generating a scoring chance out of thin air.
“He’s a hell of a player,” said Blackwood, who was traded to Colorado just 10 days ago and started in net for the Avs on Thursday. “He’s only 18, and you can see from watching the game that you give him a few years, he’s going to be one of the best guys in this league. So playing against him, he’s dangerous. He’s got a great shot, and he’s going to be someone that guys have to watch out for.”
Celebrini finished with three shots on goal in the game as the Sharks fizzled out after taking a 2-1 lead into the second intermission. The days of Celebrini and San Jose taking the NHL by storm are still a ways away, but they look to be getting closer by the day.
“You’ve got to always have an eye on him and everyone else because he’s looking for everyone,” Blackwood said. “He’s got eyes in the back of his head. Dangerous player.”
Colorado coach Jared Bednar knew the Avalanche would need to have a special focus on Celebrini coming into Thursday’s game. Celebrini missed the Sharks’ first matchup with Colorado, a game the Avs won 4-1 on Oct. 20 in San Jose.
Celebrini made his presence felt on Thursday, and Bednar thinks he is entering the echelon of the league’s elite from a game-planning standpoint.
“You have to plan for him a little bit,” Bednar said. “As you get more familiar with him, he spends more time in the league, same as any other top player, you’ve got to know where he’s at on the ice. You’ve got to know what his skill set is, what he likes to do, pick up on some tendencies.
“Great shooter, great passer, likes to skate the puck and hang onto the puck, like most other top guys in the league. So the game plan doesn’t change too much, but you’ve got to be aware of him when he’s on the ice. You’ve got to make sure your matchups are right as a coach; you’ve got the right guys on the ice to take care of him.”
The win for Colorado capped a triumphant return to SAP for Blackwood, who was cheered heartily during his introduction and when shown on the big screen during the game. But the Avalanche were cheering after the game thanks to a 3-0 third period.
“Obviously, I’ve got a lot of friends over there, but at the end of the day, it’s still a hockey game,” said Blackwood, who recorded 32 saves to earn his second win in an Avs uniform. “Got to go out there and do your job. The only thing that’s a little different is you get a couple of comments made back and forth. Maybe there’s a little more talking between the whistles and stuff. But it’s fun. So I enjoyed it.
“I felt pretty good from the start. I really enjoyed my time here. I made a lot of great friends, and I’ll always be thankful for it.”
Bednar admitted afterward that this matchup meant a little more for Colorado than usual. The Avs were intent on sending Blackwood and fellow former Shark Givani Smith away from San Jose with a victory.
“There’s always that added motivation to make sure we’re digging in for a guy that used to be here that’s playing in the pipes tonight,” Bednar said. “And for Givani, too. I thought he did a nice job. Shrank his ice time a little bit as the game got tight. But you want to make sure that they’re coming out of here with the bragging rights if you can.”