The Western Conference Final is underway. The Vegas Golden Knights drew first blood by winning Game 1, stealing home-ice advantage and setting up a pivotal Game 2. The team will look to put the pressure on the Colorado Avalanche before the series shifts to Vegas. It is time for another Golden Knights’ Playoff Gameday Preview!
Golden Knights’ Playoff Gameday Preview: Game 2 at Avalanche (Vegas Leads, 1-0)
The Golden Knights’ Game 1 win featured many of the characteristics that have carried them to victory so far. Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden scored again. The team got a depth goal from Dylan Coghlan and Nic Dowd. Lastly, Carter Hart continued his strong play in net, making 36 saves. Hart praised his team following the win:
“It’s huge. I mean, to come out like we did, I thought we came out really good in the first period. We know they’re a good team. We know they got a lot of skill on their team, and we respect that. But you can’t respect them too much, and I thought we did a good job of defending and limiting their time and space. And I thought we blocked a lot of shots tonight, got in a lot of lanes, and tied up some sticks.”
- Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Pavel Dorofeyev
- Brett Howden – William Karlsson – Mitch Marner
- Brandon Saad – Tomas Hertl – Colton Sissons
- Cole Smith – Nic Dowd – Keegan Kolesar
- Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
- Noah Hanifin – Rasmus Andersson
- Ben Hutton – Dylan Coghlan
- Carter Hart/Adin Hill
Captain Mark Stone missed Game 1 with a lower-body injury. His status for Game 2 is unknown. He has begun skating at the morning skate.
Team Leaders
Marner continues to lead the Golden Knights with 19 points and in plus/minus rating at a plus-13. Dorofeyev extended his team’s lead in goals by scoring his 10th of the playoffs in Game 1. Eichel continues to lead with 15 assists. McNabb leads with 19 penalty minutes.
In goal, Hart is posting a 2.35 goals-against average (GAA) and a .920 save percentage (SV%).
Storyline #1 – Pressure On Wedgewood
The Golden Knights scored three goals on Avalanche goalie Scott Wedgewood. It was a disappointing performance for Wedgewood, who came on in relief in Game 5 of Round 2. Wedgewood shut out the Minnesota Wild the rest of the way, picking up the win when the Avs rallied to win. However, no such luck occurred in Game 1.
Prior to this postseason, Wedgewood had only played in one playoff game. He has looked good at times, but has also looked vulnerable. The Golden Knights need to see if Wedgewood can rise to the challenge. They should enter Game 2 prepared to pepper him with shots. See if they can catch him on another off night. Make Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar consider another goalie switch midgame, and possibly for Game 3 as well.
Storyline #2 – Keep Shutting Down Top Line
The Avalanche’s most dangerous line this postseason is their top line: Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, and Gabriel Landeskog. In Game 1, they only scored one goal, a late power-play goal by Landeskog. The Golden Knights did a great job of containing the line, limiting their scoring chances. In the process, they ended MacKinnon’s six-game goal streak.
Shutting down this line is key to Vegas’s victory. Bednar already showed concern at the line’s ineffectiveness, switching up the lines late in the game. These are players that cannot be contained forever, as Landeskog’s goal showed, but the key is to limit their opportunities. It is a cliché in professional sports, but the Golden Knights should not let the Avs’ best players beat them.
Storyline #3 – Clogging Lanes and Shot Blocking
The Golden Knights had a strong approach to shutting down the Avalanche’s potent offense. They clogged the neutral zone to limit Colorado’s chances in transition. Furthermore, they continued to put their body on the line, blocking 23 shots.
The Avalanche are a fast team. They do their damage with their speed. Clogging the skating lanes is a must in Game 2 and beyond. Even slightly disrupting their progress into the offensive zone can help create scoring chances. The Golden Knights have a potent offense, but their defense is the key to beating the Avalanche. It worked in Game 1, so they should run back to the same plan in Game 2.
How to Watch
Game 2 starts at 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time. It can be viewed on ESPN.
Be sure to check back with The Hockey Writers for more coverage.
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