Sometimes, the biggest gambles pay off in the biggest moments. That was certainly the case for Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, who rolled the dice on goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood in a must-win Game 4 against the Minnesota Wild—and it paid dividends.

Blackwood hadn't started a game in nearly a month, but you wouldn't have known it from his performance. After a shaky stretch following the Olympic break, and with Scott Wedgewood starting the first seven games of the postseason, Bednar's decision to go back to Blackwood was a calculated risk built on trust. Trust in his tandem. Trust in Blackwood's ability to bounce back. And trust in the team to support their goalie.

"He was great. I think he went in the net and did exactly what I was hoping he would do," Bednar said. "He had some really strong practices in the last week, he's had time to prepare, he's in-tune with what's going on in the series, and done his homework. I thought that he went in and played a great game for us."

Blackwood stopped 19 of 21 shots in Game 4, building on a 12-of-13 relief appearance in Game 3. It was clear after that game that Bednar was contemplating the switch. It's likely he's not thinking about it much now—and that Blackwood will carry this momentum into a potential series-clinching game at Ball Arena on Wednesday.

Here are 10 takeaways from a gutsy performance:

1. The Avalanche held a dominant 20-4 shot advantage midway through the game, but that shouldn't overshadow Blackwood's night. He made several grade-A saves later in the contest to keep Colorado either tied or ahead when it mattered most.

2. Jesper Wallstedt was sharp for Minnesota until the third period. The Avs were eventually going to break through, and they did. Ross Colton deserves credit for sneaking away from Dameon Hunt for a wide-open goal—that one's more about the play than the goalie. As for the Parker Kelly goal, that's the one Wallstedt likely wants back. Not to take anything away from Kelly's shot, but a goalie who was that dialed in for two periods probably wishes he could have that one back.