Deen’s Daily: Blackwood Talks Nichushkin Friendship; Playoff Schedule is Here

Valeri Nichushkin and Mackenzie Blackwood have developed quite a friendship. Hear from the goalie on how it all began. Also, the regular season came to an end and the playoff schedule for Round 1 was released in its entirety.

All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — April 18.

Colorado Hockey Now

I chatted with Blackwood after the Avs’ practice on Tuesday about his new friendship with Nichushkin. I think my favorite part of the interview was just how open Blackwood was about Nichushkin’s troubled past in Colorado and how he admitted the two of them talk about it pretty openly.

Nichushkin seems to be in a better place now, according to his teammates.. Having someone like Blackwood around is only going to help that. Read my full story here — More Than Teammates: Inside The Friendship of Valeri Nichushkin and Mackenzie Blackwood

This is behind the CHN+ paywall, but you can use promo code Deen10 to get 25% off an annual subscription. With playoff coverage around the corner, this is the perfect time to subscribe. Also bonus, all those ads disappear when you’re a CHN+ subscriber.

Check out this story from Colleen Flynn on the excitement from the Avs’ room about the possible Gabe Landeskog return.

Full Schedule: Round 1, Avalanche vs Stars

And now for the part I really don’t like doing.

I’ll be heading to Dallas on Saturday for four days to cover games 1 and 2. Playoff access is very important for this job, which means not skipping games. Having that access leads to great coverage, which leads to more interesting and in-depth stories for the readers, and a better experience for what we’re all hoping is a long playoff run for the Colorado Avalanche.

With that, CHN added a tip jar to the bottom of each article. It’s an opportunity for readers to donate to CHN to help cover travel costs. You can donate via PAYPAL BY CLICKING HERE or VENMO BY CLICKING HERE if you’re interested in helping out. Thanks in advance to all of our readers, whether you’re donating or not. We appreciate every one of you. Happy Game 1 Eve.

Around The NHL

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Sidney Crosby vs Alex Ovechkin was the final matchup of the Pens’ season. And Crosby’s team got the upper hand.

Montreal Hockey Now: Speaking of the Caps, here’s a first-round series preview for the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference and the Montreal Canadiens. Also, a deep dive into the numbers behind the epic rookie season from Lane Hutson.

Detroit Hockey Now: The dreadful Red Wings season finally came to an end. But not without one last disappointing finish.

San Jose Hockey Now: Nikolai Kovalenko was unhappy about how his season unfolded with San Jose. He has offers from the KHL to return back home but he wants to remain in the NHL if he can get a better opportunity with the Sharks. Read all about it here. Also, Alexandar Georgiev won’t be back next season. What’s next?