WASHINGTON • The Avalanche faced an old friend and validated his replacement.

No hard feelings, Darcy Kuemper, but Colorado appears just fine with goaltender Alexandar Georgiev between the pipes. He was phenomenal Saturday night with 32 saves in a 4-0 shutout victory; his first with the Avalanche.

“It feels awesome,” Georgiev said postgame from the visitor’s dressing room at Capital One Arena. “A lot of things have to go well.”

Meanwhile, Kuemper gave up four goals to former teammates Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Andrew Cogliano and Artturi Lehkonen. Yet Kuemper’s new squad in Washington was quick to defend his 25-save performance. Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov told the local NBC Sports affiliate in Washington: “That’s not the game he deserved from us.”

The Avalanche don’t hold a grudge against Kuemper, either. Far from it.

The Stanley Cup-winning goalie from last season, and fellow Avs’ defect Nicolas Aube-Kubel, received their championship rings following the game. Colorado players have especially fond memories of playing in front of Kuemper; who signed a five-year, $26.25-million contract in Washington during the offseason.

“(Kuemper) was a fun guy. Pretty goofy. We called him professor sometimes. He was great around the locker room,” forward Logan O’Connor said after morning skate. “You never know with goalies. Sometimes they’re pretty intense. … He was on the goofier side. It was a lot of fun.”

Defenseman Devon Toews added: “It’s a bond we’ll always have as being Stanley Cup champions.”

The Avalanche, winners in six of their past seven games, have masked serious injury woes with stellar goaltending. Coach Jared Bednar said: “We’re kind of spoiled in that regard right now.” Pavel Francouz made 46 saves Thursday in a dramatic overtime victory over the Hurricanes. Georgiev was equally brilliant Saturday against the Capitals.

MacKinnon called their combined performances “unreal.”

“I wouldn’t say they’re competing against each other,” MacKinnon continued. “I think they’re supporting each other and just playing great hockey between the two of them. In this league you need two goalies to be successful. The schedule is just too tough now. They look great.”

The Georgiev vs. Kuemper narrative packed intrigue for fans and reporters alike in our nation’s capital. But the Avalanche goalie didn’t see it that way. His only focus is delivering more shutouts for his new club.

“Every game is tough. I don’t play against goalies. I play against the team,” Georgiev said. “I wanted to get a big game here because last time I played (with the Rangers) they scored like five on me here. … It definitely felt good to get a win like that.”

GAMER BOX

Avalanche 4, Capitals 0

What happened: Colorado overcame a slow first period to record its first shutout victory of the season.

What went right: The Avalanche capitalized on a 5-on-3 opportunity late in the first with a Cale Makar goal. Artturi Lehkonen had a two-point night (goal and assist) to extend his current points streak to six games. The Avs killed off two Washington power-play chances. Nathan MacKinnon scored a highlight reel goal. Andrew Cogliano also scored.

What went wrong: The Avs offense started slowly with a first period shots-on-goal deficit (14-8). Makar took a puck to the face in the second and received significant medical attention on the bench before returning to play.

Between the pipes: Avalanche starting goalie Alexandar Georgiev made all 32 saves. Washington netminder Darcy Kuemper stopped 25-of-29 Colorado shots on goal.

What’s next: The Avalanche (10-5-1) close out a three-game road trip Monday night against the Dallas Stars.