For the fifth time in nine years, the Vegas Golden Knights are in the Western Conference Final. If they want to advance to their third Stanley Cup Final, they’ll have to overcome a powerful and intimidating foe: the Colorado Avalanche.
Game 1 is on Wednesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. MT at Ball Arena.
The Avalanche won the President’s Trophy as the team with the best regular season record, and they’ve gone 8-1 this postseason. After matching up against the Utah Mammoth and the Anaheim Ducks in the first two rounds, the Avalanche are easily the biggest challenge Vegas has faced to date. However, there are three areas in which the Golden Knights hold an advantage.
1. Special Teams
The Avalanche are considerably better on the power play than they were in the regular season, which, admittedly, isn’t a high bar. During the regular season, the Avalanche scored 45 power play goals and allowed 13 shorthanded goals. In the postseason, the Avs have outscored their opponents 6-1 when on the power play.
The Golden Knights are no longer outsourcing their opponents while on the penalty kill. However, they’ve allowed just five goals and countered with four shorthanded strikes. Brett Howden became just the eighth player to record three shorthanded goals in a single postseason, and he and Mitch Marner don’t figure to slow down any time soon.
“When you hit the playoffs, special teams are important,” said head coach John Tortorella. “It’s one of the areas in a series where you concentrate on the other team– how they kill, how their power play plays. Because a lot of the 5-on-5, it’s just instinctive play… But the special teams, you really zero in on.”
2. Depth
It’s important to preface this statistic with a reminder that the Avalanche have played three fewer games than the Golden Knights. However, they’re also getting less production from lower in their lineup.
The Golden Knights have ten players with 5+ points; the Avalanche have nine. The Golden Knights have nine players with 6+ points; the Avalanche have seven. And the Golden Knights have six players with 9+ points; the Avalanche have two.
3. Goaltending
After struggling to keep the puck out of their net during the regular season, the Golden Knights are finally getting the stops they need from their goaltender. In 12 games played, Carter Hart is among the postseason leaders in nearly every statistic. He’s second in save percentage with a .912, and his 2.37 GAA is fourth among goaltenders who have played at least eight games.
The Avalanche face an interesting decision regarding who gets the starting nod. They’ve primarily turned to Scott Wedgewood this postseason, and he responded with a record of 7-1 and a .914 average save percentage. Mackenzie Blackwood has started their last three contests and recorded a .872 average save percentage.