Mackenzie Blackwood to Start Thursday Against Buffalo, Facing Rebuild with Sharks

Mackenzie Blackwood is scheduled to start in goal Thursday against Buffalo. Blackwood's 2023-24 season saw him post a 10-25-4 record with a 3.45 GAA and .899 save percentage behind a struggling Sharks team, marking his third consecutive season with a sub-.900 save percentage. Despite the statistics, he delivered league-average production relative to the team's performance. Blackwood is in the final year of his contract and aims to prove he can be a foundational player for the Sharks. He was traded to San Jose from the Devils and signed a two-year deal, moving from a rising team to a rebuilding one. In 2022-23 with New Jersey, he went 10-6-2 with a 3.20 GAA and .893 save percentage, competing for starts with Kaapo Kahkonen. Blackwood was hampered by injuries in the 2021-22 season, playing only 25 games with a 9-10-4 record, 3.39 GAA, and .892 save percentage. The Devils acquired Vitek Vanecek, making him the presumed starter for 2022-23. Blackwood's 2020-21 season reflected the Devils' rebuild, with a 3.04 GAA and .902 save percentage in 35 starts. He showed promise as a rookie, finishing with 10 wins, a 2.61 GAA, and .918 save percentage in 23 appearances, and was expected to compete for the starter role in 2020-21 before the addition of Corey Crawford. He was the presumptive No. 1 netminder for the Devils prior to free agency in 2020, with a 22-14-8 record, 2.77 GAA, and three shutouts in 47 outings.