Golden Knights-Avalanche Game 1 takeaways, grades, early look at Game 2
The Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights went back and forth through the early moments of Game 1 until it was clear that the Golden Knights were ready to roll.
They built a 3-0 lead, and held on for a 4-2 win to open the Western Conference finals on Wednesday night in Denver.
What else can we make of the Golden Knights except that they are excellent and continue to thrive? They finally broke through in Game 1 in the second period and then added the next two goals to build a 3-0 lead on the road. The Western Conference finals looks as if it will be a tough challenge. Yet Vegas always seems to find a way.
Colorado is better than what it showed in Game 1. This is a deep team with Nathan MacKinnon leading the way. It felt as if the Avalanche were showing some rust after a weeklong layoff since eliminating the Minnesota Wild in five games. But this group is resilient. Getting into the groove again will help them without a doubt and no one — other than the Montreal Canadiens — have done a better job of adjusting in-series than the Avs.
Players to watch in Game 2
It’s wild that we are even remotely questioning the Avalanche’s netminder, but it seems as if Wedgewood has shouldered an undue burden this postseason to be (almost) perfect if Colorado expects to continue moving on. Wedgewood entered this series with a 7-1 record, .914 save percentage and 2.21 goals-against average — those are exquisite numbers by any stretch. But the way Carter Hart is performing at the other end — .917 SV%, 2.37 GAA — it’s clear there will be a goaltending battle to watch going forward.
What matters is who can shoulder that pressure and turn it into some sort of power. Can Wedgewood do that moving forward? Absolutely.
Maybe you don’t know enough about Dorofeyev. But he has shown up for Vegas in the playoffs. He scored a goal in Game 1 against Colorado to add to the nine he already had in the postseason to keep the Golden Knights humming along.
At this stage of the playoffs, it’s all about who can make an impact on a secondary level and Dorofeyev is showing out in a big way. If Vegas stars — Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner — can’t always be relied on to do the scoring, then they need another option to keep making a difference.
Big questions for Game 2
How will the Avalanche continue to manage without Cale Makar?
It’s one thing to have an all-world defenseman out for a single game; it’s another thing to wonder if he’s coming back any time soon.
Makar missed Game 1 and is day-to-day with an injury following what looked like an arm ailment suffered in Game 5 of Colorado’s second-round series against Minnesota — but sources told ESPN on Wednesday that Makar is dealing with multiple issues. What does that mean for his availability moving forward?
One of the Avalanche’s strengths is their consistent defensive performance. While they showed up in that respect throughout Game 1 against Vegas, having Makar (or not) is a game-changer. It doesn’t benefit coach Jared Bednar to reveal anything about his players’ status too soon, but Colorado has to be wondering whether Makar can get back into the lineup for Game 2 — because a Makar at even a fraction of his full strength is better than most defensemen you can find in the league.
Vegas is a vibe, but is there such a thing as too much confidence?
The Golden Knights jumped out to a 3-0 lead in Game 1 and while the reigning Presidents Trophy winners have been excellent all season, there is no denying that Vegas outperformed them on Wednesday. And so, the Golden Knights have to prepare themselves for a pushback.
How Vegas responds to a weathered Avalanche crew will be a big deal ahead of Game 2.
