Blackwood stopped 22 of 25 shots in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Predators.
Blackwood had won his last four starts. He made a relief appearance in Columbus on Tuesday and struggled, allowing three goals on 15 shots, and his winning run snapped Thursday. The 29-year-old netminder has still largely avoided truly awful games for much of the season -- he hasn't allowed more than three goals in any of his last nine games. He's at an 8-3-1 record with a 2.81 GAA and an .893 save percentage over 13 games (12 starts). With Scott Wedgewood struggling early in the season, Blackwood has a clear path to a true starter's workload. The Avalanche are set to host the Red Wings on Saturday.