Golden Knights look to demoralize Avalanche early with Game Two effort
Derek Hegna
Host · Writer
It took only a single game for the Vegas Golden Knights to flip the Western Conference Final on its axis.
Now, the Golden Knights have an opportunity to assert themselves further in the series when they take on the Colorado Avalanche in Game Two on Friday.
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Date: Friday, May 22
Time: 5:00 pm PST
How To Watch: ESPN, ESPN+
Radio: 1340 AM, 94.7 FM
The Avalanche made a push in the third period of Game One to keep things interesting, but the Golden Knights dominated in pockets and walked away with a victory that surprised many across the hockey world. It cemented the notion that Vegas not only had the horses to hang with the President’s Trophy winner, but that there exists a real chance that they can be the ones representing the Western Conference as the last team standing.
With the chance to change the narrative entirely in their favor, here is how the Golden Knights can take an unexpected 2-0 stranglehold on the series.
Skip the Cale
The Avalanche will have to make do without defenseman Cale Makar, as he was ruled out during morning skate for the second consecutive game.
Colorado still had moments of brilliance in the offensive zone, but the Golden Knights saw firsthand the difference that their opponent’s blue line maestro truly makes. Makar’s absence places the impetus of generating offense solely on the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, giving the Golden Knights a better sense of who to take time and space away from. They know that Colorado is vulnerable with Makar out of the lineup, and his absence creates an opportunity to take a series lead back to Vegas.
Leaders lead
The Golden Knights will only win this series if their best players continue producing, and Game One was indicative of that philosophy.
Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden continue to pace the NHL in goals by scoring their 10th and ninth goals of the postseason, respectively, in Game One. Elsewhere, Mitch Marner continues his redemption arc with a league-leading 19 points, while Jack Eichel paces the NHL with 15 assists. Add to that a continued run of great play in net from Carter Hart, and the end result is a team that is firing on all cylinders right now.
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‘It hurts to win’ was the philosophy implemented under former head coach Bruce Cassidy when the Golden Knights went on their Stanley Cup run three years ago, and that mantra needs to continue holding true.
Along with their offensive leaders, Ivan Barbashev (67), Keegan Kolesar (58) and Cole Smith (57) are the top three in the NHL in hits. The Golden Knights have shown zero issue with punishing opponents who try and challenge for open lanes to the offensive zone, and that physical toll has worn on all of their opponents so far. The Avalanche certainly felt the effects of Game One, and taking too many hits could lead to the energy reserves depleting too soon if the series continues like this.
